When their home is attacked and taken over by the Germans, Sophie FitzOsbourne and her family are sent to England to live with their Aunt Charlotte. After escaping from her tiny island home of Montmaray, she finds herself having to adjust to a completely new environment. Sophie's dreams of her debut into society are becoming a reality, and she is quickly immersed into a life full of balls, parties and other social events. She has all the ballgowns she can wear and all the luxuries she wants, she gets. But the life she once dreamed of is overshadowed by the threat of war. Everything she once wanted isn’t as important anymore. Soon, the FitzOsbournes start worrying about the fate of Montmaray and the future of their home. It seems like no one is doing anything to help and they begin to strategize how to save their precious island home from the war.
Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. I love the element of historical fiction, and the backdrop of the war added to the suspense of the story. Sophie and the other characters were interesting to read about. I loved how Sophie recounted her adventures and feelings through a journal style of writing; it made it feel more personal and I related to the characters more by being in her shoes.
Reading about society life is something I’ve always be interested in, but reading about that lifestyle during the war was something new and fresh. There were so many layers to the story that all blended well together and the ending was fantastic. I saw that Michelle Cooper has another book starring the FitzOsbournes and I cannot wait to pick that up! I would recommend The FitzOsbournes in Exile to anyone looking for a quick, interesting read and fans of historical fiction.
- Author's Website: http://www.michellecooper-writer.com/index.html
- Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
- Date of Publication: April 5, 2011
