The Exiles (The Australians, Vol. 1) cover

The Exiles (The Australians, Vol. 1)

by William Stuart Long

They came from England - thieves, felons, murderers, justly and unjustly accused - human cargo destined to hack a life from the harsh Australian wilderness. Packed into the teeming holds of His Majesty's ships, they sailed treacherous seas to the icy desolation of Antarctica, to the South Cape of Tasmania, to Captain Cook's anchorage in Botany bay. It was a cruel, violent fate for fifteen-year-old Jenny Taggart. Falsely accused of theft, she was torn from her loved ones, a beautiful child among hardened convicts, an innocent in the craft of survival. Betrayed by her beauty, sustained by courage, she would endure to become the Queen of the Convicts, target of passion and vengeance in a raw merciless land...

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?