Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed stories that are second coming of age and this was one of them. The main character has to start all over and decides to seek solace in a new state but instead she finds a new adventure.
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Lizbeth Gordon is a school counselor who experiences a major life event when her husband unexpectedly dies. She decides to leave Washington where she has spent the last 20 years to return home to South Carolina. There, while trying to navigate the loss of her husband and her children’s grief in the loss of their father she uncovers a possible family member lost during the reconstruction of Charleston. This sends her on a journey to discover her roots and uncover family secrets.
This multi-generational novel was a wonderful read. I really appreciated the multiple POV and how fast paced it was without rushing. I enclosed Lizbeth’s and her family story the more I read. I wish there was a follow up!
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a fascinating story! Lizbeth was such a strong and intelligent woman. Losing her husband, and being alone she finds solace in researching about her family’s culture and history. The information she stumbles upon takes her on journey of self exploration as well as opens her eyes to her ancestors lives before her. The emotions that she experiences as she finds out intimate family history, and secrets that were unexpected are intense. This is such a good story that spoke to me on many levels, and something I felt easily able to relate to.
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was just simply amazing. I picked this book purely because of its beautiful cover and synopsis, but I had no idea what I was in for. Full of drama, deception, secrets, and a woman who just wants to put her life back together, this book was just full of twists and turns. Lizbeth is facing her worst nightmare, and the secrets that follow it could be her undoing. But when she moves back home she uncovers more family secrets, including some about a family slavery connection that she would rather not explore. Full of wonderful characters, a complex and intriguing plot, and more, I definitely recommend you pick up this book today.
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Harriet Cannon is a new author to me. Her storytelling is a refreshing read. Her story plot keeps my attention from the first page until the last page. Her characters are realistic. This story is about Lizbeth. She is looking for some relief after her husband’s death at the family cottage. Then her aunt spoiled that for her with the story of her ancestors. Her stories had Lizbeth seeking across the continents and finding herself a job in Rio de Janeiro. Will she find the answers she is looking for? Can her past secrets be healed by her family’s path and healing? I highly recommend this book. It is an emotional read so make sure you have kleenex close by.
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I couldn’t tell you if it’s due to the fact that my family and I just lost one of our own just before Christmas, or if it’s because I needed a reflective novel to occupy my thoughts, but this author really did accomplish just that. I allowed myself to feel that despair, and with that, the loss that one feels not only from losing the person, but to have to try and figure out how you can move forward. Not everyone is the same, and Lizbeth really brings forward some of the emotions and inabilities I must let go of things that we (I) cannot change. The novel definitely takes a positive turn as our main characters dig deeper into their own family history, mixing some brilliant history into the mix for those of us that aren’t as educated in US History, or at least wasn’t the focal, that made the story even more intriguing.
The reason I rated this four stars rather than the five I do believe it could achieve, is that I do personally prefer to be reading from a first person narrative, and find the switching between characters to be a little sudden at times. However, the third person narrative, the world building and the sense of peace the reader gets from her writing style is spot on. I am thinking a reread will be in the cards once I have my own loss sorted out. Great debut novel, I do recommend a read!
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This genre, women’s historical fiction, isn’t new to me even though this author is. This author has a very easy writing style. I found this story very entertaining and rich in history. It was also informative with just enough history that I didn’t skip pages like I might have during my history class in high school.
Lizbeth is the main character and she is a curious busy body, in my opinion. Which helps while she is discovering all there is to learn about her ancestors. Her good intentions make her an easy character to love. Following Lizbeth on her adventure to discover the truth about her family is far from easy, as racism is never easy.
Take a chance on this book and you may just find a new author to one click as well.
Reviewed by @shannonlovesbooks
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It takes tragedy striking for Lizbeth Gordon to seek out more information on her ancestors. She knew her family hailed from the Charleston area but didn’t really know much more than that. This is a story of how she went about tracking down information on her family with the added bonus of a fortuitous meeting of distant relatives when she takes a new job in Rio de Janeiro. Can she find information on all of them? Will her relatives be happy to help or wish she’d leave it all alone?
This was an enjoyable read! Having lived in South Carolina for 4 years, it was fun to know exactly where Lizbeth was driving to, visiting, and living. I enjoyed learning about the Gordon family, and the Civil War. The author did a wonderful job of including letters and then following it up with what was going on around the time it was written. The characters were all wonderful, relatable, and extremely brave. This is a great historical/contemporary read!
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Lizbeth Gordon suddenly becomes widowed and has to explain to her twin boys that she is in debt. Dependable, reliable, financially secured dead husband ends up that he had a gambling problem. Influenced by best friend and cousin who comes to visit and offer moral support. She decides to move back to her hometown to start anew. Now she is hooked onto her families drama.
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As a budding genealogist, I must say this book was wonderful. I thrive on the retelling of family tales (good or bad), and never pass up an opportunity to tell or listen to one. History and great story-telling combine in this book to bring Lizbeth Gordon’s family to life as we navigate hard truths along with her. After her husband dies, she travels home and ends up researching her family’s past. Then, her work takes her to Rio de Janeiro and the people she meets along the way help her piece together the puzzle of her ancestors. I seriously devoured this book, and it has inspired me to continue on in the research of my own family’s past. Also, this book is rich in multicultural perspectives and lessons in diversity and is a great eye-opener. Highly recommend it!
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Exiled South is such a refreshing read and different from any book I’ve read. The lengths Lizbeth goes to to find out more about her family tree is truly astounding. The sudden death of her husband turns her world completely upside down but allows her the opportunity to research more into her past. Even her short-term trip to South America answers questions she’s had her entire life. The author does an amazing job painting the landscape of each scene in this novel, it’s as if I was standing next to Lizbeth watching her journey as she made it.
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a refreshing read.
It gave you the ok into the life of a widow and I related to her as a mother and wife trying to find peace.
I loved the focus of history that the novel takes.
Anything war wins my vote and this really becomes a story of finding your truth and peace.
It is light and enjoyable with facts thrown in any just the right times to keep you hooked.
I can not imagine the pain of a widower but I connected to the story and the main character.
This has a feeling of solace that you feel within the story of family and how your past can define you and shape you, or not.
This will definitely become a reread and I recommend this as a book club read.
Light but intense at the same time. So well crafted.
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a different kind of story for me. I’m not big in historical novels. This book takes you back through a families history and genealogy. After the loss of her husband Liz goes back to SC where her family is from. She is then sucked into the history and decreases of her family. The book talks about the south and slavery. Beware that there is a rape scene in the book. I could see this book being part of a book club as it can spark lots of talking points.
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I found this to be an interesting story. As a lover of history, and the American Civil War, especially, discussion of Confederates who escaped after the war are very rarely discussed. Situations involving mixed-race offspring are not often discussed, either, but this story brings both situations into focus and exploration. The main struggle I had was just that the story was written fully in present tense, including sections that take place in the past. The majority of what I read is written in past tense so it’s just an adjustment on my part. But I do like how this story gave me a different view of the war that I didn’t know existed.
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is good. I like learning about history, so that’s what drew me to this book. Lizabeth has a hard time trying to figure out why her husband lied to her and moves back home. Then she takes a job at an international school to live out her dreams. The job she takes is at a school in Brazil. There she learns so much about culture and ancestors. I love strong female leads.
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a truly intriguing book that caught my attention with the conversation between Liz and Dan. It built from there. The story was well-written. The topic was interesting and well-researched. The characters felt like they could have been pulled right out of the community, very relatable. Intense, intriguing and a very goood read. I enjoyed this book.
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
5 Stars
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
Exiled South is a wonderfully written story about family and exploring the past uncovering secrets. This is a fairly new author to me and I look forward to reading more from her. I had a hard time putting it down once I started reading. What an emotional rollercoaster ride at times There are a few twists and turns I didn’t expect but wow what a ride.. Lizabeth finds herself going back home to her hometown in South Carolina following the death of her husband. She finds herself very restless while doing some family research so she goes to Rio De Janeiro on a little short term job. She didn’t expect to meet someone with some ancestors with the same surname as her. Will she find the answers she’s looking for? I highly recommend reading this book to find out what happens next. I do want to warn there may be a scene that may be a trigger for some.i can’t wait to read more from this Author.
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Captivating
A journey down well worn paths of history that spanned across continents. I found this book fascinating even though I am not very familiar with American history. The story follows Lisbeth as she works through her grief and uncovers family secrets buried long ago. I enjoyed the author’s writing and the way historical facts were interwoven with the character’s story. A wonderful read that history lovers would enjoy.
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was surprised at some of the language used in this book bjut it shows what those times were like. I enjoyed the correspondence letter between the characters it was nice to read them and see what was been passed between the two. Lizbeth Gordon divide into her family history after losing a lover. Whislt reconnection to the past and family members she discovers some truths that shock her. A great read.
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a great book to start out the new year! This book sucked me in from the very beginning, the prominent theme of shame due to families past actions. I quickly read Lizbeth’s story of returning to the deep south after losing her husband, caught up in all the history and drama that her family’s past held. The entire book was an emotional roller coaster that made me yearning for more at the end of every chapter. I am very excited to read more from this author in the future!
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a really interesting read! This is a deeply interwoven novel of family, history, betrayal, secrets, conflict and coming together again. There were several twists and turns I didn’t expect (not in a thriller or horror way, just a historical and kismet way I wasn’t expecting from the blurb) that kept me reading didn’t let me stop. This was a deeply engrossing and engaging novel that had me thinking throughout about several different things and factors. Racism, slavery, how things look on the surface may not be what they seem on the inside. This was a deep, thought provoking novel. Trigger warning: there is a rape scene in the novel that may be triggering for some. I highly recommend reading this novel and hope to read more from this author in the future.
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Exiled South is one woman’s journey to overcome unimaginable grief and reconnect to the parts of her family’s past that she has tried to ignore for over two decades. After the death of her husband, Lizbeth leaves town and heads for her family’s vacation cabin down South to rest and recuperate, with the help of her cousin Charlotte. With Charlotte’s tender care and gentle prodding, she starts to reconnect with her roots in North Carolina. Throughout her emotional and physical journeys, she learns to reclaim her ancestry, the good the bad and the ugly. The themes in this novel were handled very well, and I appreciated the frank and vulnerable way that Cannon drew Lizbeth for her readers. The story was very relatable and Lizbeth is an interesting, intelligent, complicated human. Charlotte was a fun character as well, and I appreciated both her loving gestures for Charlotte mixed with a no-nonsense ‘tell it like it is’ attitude. Very realistic of a big sister – one minute gracious and caretaking, the next minute calling out her sister on her bullsh!t. A lovely read written with a gentle touch and a reflective vibe.
Reviewed by @ericalorraine
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Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
As her debut novel this author has put her heart and soul into this story. It is an emotional read but an interesting one with all the historical information throughout this tale.
For generations Lizbeth family have been in turmoil. With stories from the past of ancestors that disappeared and a traitor on the run Lizbeth yearns for a quiet life, but her curiosity wins out to see if the stories are just that stories. When she least expects it, she comes across something that might just help the family finally heal.
Reviewed by @jennadb
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The author did an amazing job of describing every setting in this book, which made me want to hop on a plane and go visit! I was instantly connected since it starts in Washington State close to my hometown. Lizbeth Gordon is a school counselor in a small town that she moved to after marrying her husband Dan. She has twin boys that attend Western Washington University a few hours away. After the tragic death of her husband, she decides to move back to South Carolina. The descriptions of South Carolina and the coasts sound breathtaking. With the help of her cousin Charlotte, she is able to enjoy the family home and the beach it sits on. I had not heard of the term “roots research” until this book and it intrigued me. Lizbeth is doing her own roots research and trying to learn more about the Gordon family going back for generations. She has Charlotte, her aunt, and some headstones and photographs to start. There are many dead ends but I couldn’t stop reading to find out about her family!
Review by @bibliophilenerd
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Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Again, I am probably the least interested ever in reading history based fiction, but I couldn’t stop reading this. The civil war was definitely one of my favorite history lessons if I had to choose one, and this book was so good. Our main character was recently widowed, her boys off at school, and she just needed to find herself again. I really enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would.
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Beautiful story but yet parts were heartbreaking. Losing a spouse is unimaginable, and that is what happens with Lizbeth. When she picks up the broken pieces to what she thought she knew, she in turn goes back to roots. Lizbeth’s story of her past and wanting to know more of her own family, history and heritage really grabbed my attention to keep reading. This story is very well written and full of about family, history and secrets. The author did a great job in details where the story takes place. Looking forward to reading more books from this author!
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a new author to me, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I picked it up. What I found is a book that I thoroughly enjoyed especially considering that some of the story takes place on one of the beaches in South Carolina. Having lived in NC all my life I am quite familiar with the Carolina beaches, so this felt a lot like home to me. I am a history buff, so I enjoyed the civil war details that were included in the story. I think this author did a fantastic job describing the choices that not only we, but our family ancestors before us make. And I loved it. As someone that loves to research my own family genealogy it made me sit back and think about how some of the choices my family tree made that had affected me and my life. It makes me want to sit down and possibly retrace some of that as well. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking to go back in time to see how family choices made many years ago relate to us now and the choices we make.
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This story was a beautiful read. It is heartwarming but at times heartbreaking. I love Lizbeth character. She is a strong women who has had her world turned upside down.
This is a story about love, loss and family and finding out who you really are and where you come from.
The reader is taken on a journey with Lizbeth as she tries to find out her family history. What she doesn’t expect is that the Gordon family reached more areas that she originally thought and as she starts to find this out it gives her chance to face her familys history and also heal herself.
The author does am amazing job with descriptions and building the stories and characters. You feel like finding Lizbeth’s family is like retracing your own family history. This story also covers subject such as slavery and racism but it is done so in a respectful and informative way educating the reader as well as providing the reader an escape from everyday life.
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is such a well written story about family and exploring the past. This is the first book that I have read by this author and I enjoyed how relaxed the book felt, while still providing a depth to it. It was quite a quick story and it felt complete, like a story well told. I found that I really became invested in the main character and her journey – from the death of her husband to everything she goes through. The book was well thought and a really enjoyable story. This was a great way to kick start 2022 and I am looking forward to discovering more this authors work.
Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Lizbeth Gordon is a school counselor who seems to be able to resolve conflict in the lives of others but is unable to do so in her own life. After she unexpectedly loses her husband, she feels alone and is in need for time to herself. Lizbeth decides to return to South Carolina to stay at her family’s cottage on the beach. While there visiting with her family her aunt tells Lizbeth stories of family ancestors who disappeared during the Civil War Reconstruction. This leads Lizbeth to research her family roots to find out what happened to her family and where they may have ended up. In her quest to solve the mystery surrounding the mysterious disappearance of her ancestors Lizbeth hits a brick wall and is unable to find any farther information about this part of her family. Lizbeth becomes frustrated and feels as though she needs to give up, so she accepts a job that she is offered in Rio de Janeiro.
It is in Rio de Janeiro where she meets someone with the same surname as the ancestor that she was researching. This person has old paperwork and an old diary written by someone with the same surname. Could this person be a long lost relative of Lizbeth’s? Could this person be the key to unlocking the secrets of her past?
This book resonated with me because I am currently researching my family tree. This is something that I have been trying to unravel over the years and have stopped and started on numerous occasions. I, too, have stumbled onto roadblocks and dead ends in some of my research with my ancestors. I could identify with the character of Lizbeth Gordon because she was much like me. Despite hitting numerous dead ends she was determined to solve the mystery and fill in the missing pieces from her past. I had to keep reading because I was anxious to see if she would solve the mystery and what length she would go to. I think my favorite part of the entire book was the journal entries that she found that had been written over 100 years ago. I love that kind of stuff!
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