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Exile Kindle Edition

by Sarah Bourne (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 160 ratings
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On a remote Shetland island, a mother and daughter’s strained relationship is tested as dark and long-hidden secrets are revealed . . .

Kirstie exiles herself to the small Shetland island of Yell after yet another torrid affair. She knows she went too far this time—her desperate behaviour caused the breakdown of her lover’s marriage. Taking up residence in her grandparents’ croft, which has lain empty since their deaths, and wanting time to reflect on her life and disastrous relationships, Kirstie begins to write about her obsessive ways.

What she hasn’t realised is that the island is full of relatives she never knew she had. Kirstie has spent her life feeling unloved, hurt, and angry, and has wondered what part this played in the all-consuming manner she is drawn into relationships.

As Kirstie allows some of the local people into her life, she learns of her mother Morag’s tragic history—and begins to reassess her mother’s behaviour. But as Kirstie grapples with her past and begins to settle into her present, Morag decides to visit, throwing Kirstie into turmoil once again—and revealing even more shocking truths . . .
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  1. Print length
    296 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Bloodhound Books
  5. Publication date
    March 23, 2022
  6. File size
    2707 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sarah Bourne is the author of several novels, including The Train. The winner of the 2017 Hunter Writer’s Centre prize for her short story "The Sounds of You," she also works as a counsellor and teaches yoga. She loves skiing, swimming, long dinners with friends, and walking her dogs. Born and raised in London, she has lived in the US and Japan and currently lives with her family in Sydney, Australia.

Helen Lloyd is a classically trained actor who has a keen ear for accents and loves to bring characters to life. The narrator of books in numerous genres, she delights in new challenges.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09TGQL57H
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloodhound Books (March 23, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 23, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2707 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 296 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 160 ratings

About the author

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Sarah Bourne

Sarah Bourne

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Born and raised in London, Sarah has travelled extensively and finally settled in Sydney, Australia. She is married and has three children. She is a counsellor, yoga teacher and writer, and loves skiing, swimming, long dinners with friends and walking her two dogs.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
160 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Karen O'Donnell Hickham
5.0 out of 5 stars HEART WRENCHING AND HEART WARMING
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2022
I have to begin by saying that this type of book is not my usual read, but I could not put this down. The story revolves around the self-imposed exile of Kristen. She exiles herself to her family’s cottage on the island of Yell, a part of the Shetland islands off the northern coast of Scotland. The self-imposed exile happens after Kristen has several disastrous relationships. The heart wrenching part of this is that her emotional issues stem out her parents’ own disastrous marriage and her mother’s own emotional issues which stem from her own past on Yell which she has hidden from Kristen.
The heartwarming part of this is the bond which Kristen is able to form with all of the Scottish relatives who she never knew existed and eventually with her own mother. Kristen also forms close friendships with the villagers who also played a role in her mother’s past.
I don’t want to give much of the story away because it develops so beautifully throughout the book. The characters were so well developed that I felt that I knew them by the time that I was finished with the book. I highly recommend this book to all.
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Bobbi Jo Wagner
4.0 out of 5 stars great story
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2022
I enjoyed this suspensful story. This is not my first book by this author but it is one of my favorites by this author yet. I enjoyed being pulld into the story by the author's writing skills as well as her attention to details. This is a well written story about a mother, daughter, relationship and secrets that are dark and most of all hidden. I enjoyed how the characters were able to pull me into the story. They are creative and supportive to each other. They bring the story to life on each page which made the story easy and entertaining to read. I enjoyed their growth as well as the growth of the plot throughout the story. This is a great story that has twists and turns that you won't see coming. They had me coming back for more. This is a fast paced story that is hard to put down. A great story that filled my afternoon with suspense and action. I highly recommend this book.
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Kindle Customer C📲📱🔖📚📖
5.0 out of 5 stars i am finding: My life
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2022
This story is coming out March 23, by Sarah Bourne. She also wrote story of Ella's war, The Train, Invisible, and now Exile. This is a story of a woman name Kirstie. She moves to the remote Island of Shetland. Kirstie moved into her grandparent's old cottage that has been closed off since they have passed away Jimmy and Aileen. Now, Kirstie has to reside inside a horrible condition old cottage, but she up for the challenge. She needed this time for herself. Kirstie finds out information she never knew, that was hidden form her from her mother Morag. This is a book that you will find out the relationship between the mother and daughter. The secrets that were hidden from Kirstie. This story has entanglements, gut also hope, forgiveness, Love and healing. This book is worth reading great springtime reading.
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Vivian
4.0 out of 5 stars Another great book by Sarah Bourne
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2022
You know that when you get a book by Sarah Bourne you are getting a thought provoking, sometimes controversial great read, this one is not the exception.
Beautifully written, this book will make you laugh, cry, think and most importantly analyze the two life situations presented in it and reach your own conclusion as to how an event can influence not only the person to whom this situation happened but also everyone around her at the moment of the event but also in the future.

Dealing with themes of parents rejection, abandonment (physical and emotional), obsessions, guilt, self hatred, this book is not an easy read but one that will make you think hard, and that is one of the many beauties of Sarah Bourne books.
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Cherie
4.0 out of 5 stars Twisty
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2022
Interesting how the story unfolds and I like how it went back and forth for Kirsten. It made me think of why we do what we do and how the actions of others can have such an impact on us and how we react to situations. Everyone is so different yet everything really comes down to only a few core things. How nice the world would be if we all were like Duncan and Isabel! This is an ARC copy from Bloodhound Books but the views are my own.
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Lisa Heidke
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written and thoroughly satisfying.
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2022
When Kirstie Exiles herself to Yell, a remote Shetland island, after a string of torrid affairs, the last thing she wants to do is meet an island full of relatives. However as she slowly adjusts to her new life, Kirstie learns about herself and her mother's tragic past. Narrated by Kirstie and told in both present and past tense, Bourne captures the bitter cold and stunning remoteness of Yell, and the simple, often exhausting life of the people who live there. I was drawn to Kirstie's complex and flawed character as she grapples with her past obsessive behaviours. A fractious mother daughter relationship, secrets, lost loves and ultimate redemption, Exile is a thoroughly satisfying novel.
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Bobbi Lewin
5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping story
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2022
I have been way too distracted to read for months now, but when I was given an ARC copy of Sarah Bourne's Exile, I could not put it down! I was fascinated by the contrast between the main character's present, idyllic life in the island community of Yell with the past chaos of her life in the city. The author seamlessly wove these two stories together.

The mother/daughter dynamics resonated with me as well. We think we know our parents or our children, but there can be so much hiding under the surface.

I highly recommend this book.
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Amazon Customer
1.0 out of 5 stars not worth the read
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2022
Verified Purchase
The character spent the whole time rehashing the same thoughts and emotions the whole book. I would not recommend this book
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Top reviews from other countries

Andrea Barton
5.0 out of 5 stars Sheds light on obsessive love disorder
Reviewed in Australia on November 11, 2023
Verified Purchase
Exile by Sarah Bourne is a study of a woman struggling to process the mistakes she’s made in her life due to her obsessions. To prevent herself from messing up again, Kirstie exiles herself to a remote Shetland Island.
While there, she meets family she never knew she had and finds new information about her mother’s childhood and youth. She reaches out to her almost-estranged mother, and what follows is a dance between parent and child as they try to repair their strained relationship.
Sarah has a knack of getting inside her characters’ heads, and I found myself understanding Kirstie and her mother’s behaviour, shocking though it was. Full marks to Sarah for shedding light on obsessive love disorder.
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delyth woods
4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 19, 2022
Verified Purchase
I quite enjoyed this book. The twists were good, characters well written. You could certainly "see" the Scottish countryside as the descriptions were that good. It is not my usual genre of book, and I think that's why I've given it 4*. It's not the authors fault, but mine.
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BRENDAN
5.0 out of 5 stars Best. Book. Ever.
Reviewed in Australia on January 16, 2023
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The author isn’t Scottish but you would not know from this very descriptively accurate story set in the islands.
Great plot. Brilliant writing. Well constructed.
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RHL
5.0 out of 5 stars A thought provoking read and a great read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 12, 2022
Verified Purchase
That explains it!

Exile is a well-written, thought-provoking novel whose characters give you the opportunity to examine your own demons, determine how to overcome them, and look for the good in others and in yourself. The novel raises the importance of community and an appreciation for the simple things in life. Definitely a good read!
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A G
3.0 out of 5 stars Decent Read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2022
Verified Purchase
Overall not a bad book. A bit hard to get into at the start. Giving 3 stars as the Island dialect was a bit far fetched. I think the author has read too much of The Broons. I've never heard anyone from that area speak this way. Still enjoyed the book though.
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