The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Kline, Christina Baker. The Exiles. Custom House, 2020.

The Exiles: A Novel by Christina Baker Kline began with the Prologue on Flinders Island, Australia in 1840. The Palawa were transported there from their ancestral land to a settlement on Flinders created by the British. Upon Governor John Franklin’s visit to Flinders, his wife, Lady Jane Franklin, took an interest in Mathinna, the eight-year-old orphaned daughter of the late chieftain of the Palawa. Lady Franklin decided to bring Mathinna back to Van Diemen’s Land with them.

Part 1 began with Evangeline waking late for her job as governess in the Whitstone’s household in London. Agnes, the housemaid, spotted the ruby gemstone ring given in secret to Evangeline from Cecil, Mr. Whitstone’s son. Later that day, Mrs. Whitstone called a constable and accused Evangeline of stealing the ring. Enraged by Anges’s betrayal and fueled by the despair of her unplanned pregnancy, Evangeline pushed Agnes down the stairs. Although Agnes was unscathed, she claimed Evangeline attempted to murder her.

Evangeline was arrested and brought to Newgate Prison in London, where she was officially charged with larceny and attempted murder. In the overcrowded cell, Evangeline held on to hope that Cecil would return from abroad and explain her innocence. While incarcerated, Evangeline befriended a fellow pregnant convict named Olive. Slowly, Evangeline understood that her sheltered, educated life in her father’s vicarage made her ill prepared for the hardships of a poor, single young woman. Without anyone of stature to testify on behalf of her character, Evangeline was sentenced to serve 14 years in Australia. Meanwhile, in Part 2, Mathinna surrendered herself to the Franklins and was taken from Flinders Island to Van Diemen’s Land to live in Government House. There, she found the window of her bedroom boarded, clothing in her dresser, and Lady Franklin’s gruesome collection of Palawan skulls and other belongings.

In Part 3, Evangeline and Olive boarded the Medea, the repurposed slave ship that would transport them from London to Australia. Soon, they met Hazel, a 16-year-old pickpocket from Glasgow. They became friends, and Evangeline began teaching Hazel to read. Dr. Dunne, the ship’s surgeon, also enjoyed conversing with Evangeline. One day, Evangeline saved Hazel from the attack of a sailor, Buck. When Olive’s baby was stillborn, Evangeline and Hazel comforted her. After Evangeline gave birth, she insisted she visit the deck. Hazel followed her in time to see Buck push Evangeline over the railing to her death.

In Part 4, Mathinna took lessons from Eleanor, Sir John’s daughter, excelling in French. Lady Franklin commissioned a portrait of her, and she embraced the new identity to escape her pain. Soon, her beloved pet, Waluka, was killed by an unruly dog, leaving her completely alone. Meanwhile, in Part 5, Hazel testified against Buck for Evangeline’s murder, accepting the responsibility of caring for her baby, whom she named Ruby. Dr. Dunne officially made Hazel Ruby’s mother on her birth certificate, granting her visitation rights at the nursery of the Cascades. He also recommended her to work there. Soon, Ruby was transferred to the orphanage and Hazel was reassigned to work at Government House, where she learned that Dunne was residing in Australia.

In Part 6, Mathinna met Hazel, who offered her more kindness than she had previously received at Government House. After drinking alcohol for the first time in her despair at the Franklins' party, Mathinna let herself dance the way she used to with her tribe, mortifying the guests and Lady Franklin alike. The Franklins distanced themselves from Mathinna, leaving her to fall deathly ill alone. Hazel returned to Government House for her, finding her ill and nursing her back to health. Lady Franklin decided to leave Mathinna at the orphanage upon their return to London; before she left, Hazel stole back Mathinna’s shell necklaces from Lady Franklin’s collection.

Hazel lost her rights as Ruby’s mother when the prison discovered her lie in Part 7. While in solitary confinement, Hazel reasoned that the only way to heal was to accept both her past and present to heal for her future. While working inside the prison, Olive gave Hazel the message that Buck had separated her from Ruby and was planning revenge after his escape. Hazel concocted a plan to save Ruby with Olive’s help. Soon, Dr. Dunne arrived at the prison to employ Hazel at his new practice. There, she was able to care for Ruby, whom Dr. Dunne had claimed as his own daughter at Hazel’s request. Dr. Dunne signed for Hazel’s ticket of leave with the promise of work and lodgings; Maeve had since been released, working and caring for Ruby in Hazel’s initial absence. One day, Hazel and Ruby saw Mathinna in Hobart Town. Hazel learned that, after being abused at the orphanage, Mathinna was sent back to Flinders. With her closest relatives dead and her differences too great, she was cast out once again. Back on Van Diemen’s Land, Mathinna escaped her conditions to work and drink. Before parting, Mathinna gifted Ruby one of her shell necklaces.

When Dr. Dunne departed for a conference, Hazel returned to the practice to find Buck with Ruby. He threatened her life before threatening to rape Hazel. With Maeve’s help, Hazel served Buck a deadly tea, leaving him to die in the shed. His death as an escaped convict led to little questions, and Dr. Dunne commended Hazel’s bravery upon his return. The two fell in love, and they raised Ruby together in Australia. In Part 8, Ruby was 28 years old in 1868. While studying to be a physician under Dr. Elizabeth Garrett, Ruby traveled to London. She met Cecil, who admitted that he did not do what he could for Evangeline upon her incarceration. She surprised him with the news that she was his biological daughter, but rejected his gift of the ruby gemstone ring. Ruby left him knowing that she belonged in Australia, and she would go on to become a successful doctor.