The Exiles in Love

This is the third and final installment in Hilary McKay's series on the Conroy sisters. I came to the series from my reading of The Penderwicks of Gardam Street to my girls. This particular book, The Exiles in Love is a favorite of one of the characters in that book. A few things about the Exiles series. They appear to take place over a two or three year span in the girls lives. In the first book, the girls come off as self-centered and totally lacking in common sense. Their grandma diagnoses the problem as the reading of too many books to the detriment of all other activity. She begins a cure thru having them come visit her in a small village in Cumbria (west coast of England, just south of Scotland). Big Grandma (so they call her) then proceeds to make them talk walks, go on picnics, cook their own food, tricks them into gardening, sends them shopping for food, etc. The results are generally funny, absurd and occasionally tragic. The girls grow up a little but mostly they learn to love and trust Big Grandma. The second book shows the girls at home. One of them sponsors an African boy's school without telling her parents. Eventually she involves all the sisters in trying to raise the requisite ten pounds every month. Some of their schemes to make the money become increasingly thoughtless, irresponsible and border in some cases on the criminal. Other schemes make them friends that will eventually help them solve their problem. As in the first book, they sort of learn their lesson and sort of don't. Which leads us to this book. The first thing to note is the use of a framing device. The two older girls, Ruth and Naomi, are heard at the beginning of each chapter as adults talking over the adventures of the coming chapter. Their adventures are about boys and a visit to France to visit an old friend of Big Grandma and his grandson, Phillip whom all the girls have a crush on. The second thing to note is that the girls have much more common sense than before. They note much more of what is going on. Interestingly enough, it is the youngest, Phoebe, who is the most observant and the most tough minded about about what she sees. It sums up the sisters pretty well to note that she is the greatest realist of the bunch yet dreams of growing up to be an International Spy. The final chapter is in the present with the girls are all grown up and relates an event that brings to conclusion one of the stories of the earlier events. The book thus seems to put an end to the series. Which is perfect in a way. Ms. McKay had a story to tell, there seems to be an overall story arc to the three novels and it is done. We have had the pleasure of listening in as four very well drawn, realistic young women begin to figure out how to behave in their world. The last thing to say is that these books are best read to or by kids who are at least eight years old. My two girls, 5 and 7, are a little too young for the books. I don't mean to imply anything risque; it is just that the

This is the third book in the brilliant Exiles series. The 'Family Failing' (falling in love) has hit the Conroy household, as Ruth finds herself in love with the school bus driver, Alan Aldair in the sixth form, Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre and her temporary English teacher, Mr. Blyton-Jones. Naomi shares her sister's passion for their English teacher, but they both soon change their minds when they discover that he can't tell them apart. Meanwhile, Rachel has proposed to Phillipe, a French boy who comes to stay and Phoebe has decided to become an international spy. 'The Exiles in Love' is a hilarious book, and the Conroy girls are just as mad and funny as before!!! But sadly, it looks as though this is the last book about Ruth, Naomi, Rachel and Phoebe Conroy (sigh).