A funny and moving story told through the letters of two women nurturing a friendship as they are separated by distance, experience, and time.
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reviews
Jun 26, 2009
Liz
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Note: this is an old review from my blog
Just finished Dear Exile: The True Story of Two Friends Separated (For a Year) by an Ocean by Hilary Liftin & Kate Montgomery. After college Kate married David, joined the Peace Corps, and went to Africa. Hilary stayed in New York City and worked on becoming an adult.
The book is the letters they sent back and forth. They are very human letters between friends, not always recapping stories that they already know. The letters show the More...
Just finished Dear Exile: The True Story of Two Friends Separated (For a Year) by an Ocean by Hilary Liftin & Kate Montgomery. After college Kate married David, joined the Peace Corps, and went to Africa. Hilary stayed in New York City and worked on becoming an adult.
The book is the letters they sent back and forth. They are very human letters between friends, not always recapping stories that they already know. The letters show the More...
Dec 15, 2010
Caity
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Dear Exile was, simply put, a revealing collection of letters between two young women. Kate, struggling to live in Kenya while serving with the Peace Corps with her husband, had to battle things generally perceived as some of the worst injustices in the world: beating children for not scoring well on a test they weren't prepared for by their teachers, terrible sanitation in all ways possible, lack of decent food available to those surrounding them, and, possibly worst of all, the refusal to even
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Jan 04, 2009
Alison
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This is, by far, my favorite Peace Corps book. Most are flowery and overbearing in their descriptions of beauty, “Mango Elephants in the Sun” comes to mind. The title even makes me cringe. This book is between two friends – one who goes to Kenya with her husband to teach and the other who lives life in New York.
I read this once during Peace Corps and was lucky to find it hiding in a stack of books at the recent library book sale for $1. As I read it again, it struck me how many More...
I read this once during Peace Corps and was lucky to find it hiding in a stack of books at the recent library book sale for $1. As I read it again, it struck me how many More...
Aug 11, 2008
Rana
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a charming collection of letters between two friends - one in the peace corps in Kenya and the other in the jungle of NYC. For anyone who has lived in Africa, there will be some definite identification with familiar feelings and experiences.
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Feb 28, 2009
Robin
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Jul 01, 2010
Emilie
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This book was definitely engaging. The letters between the two friends in Kenya and NYC were witty and insightful, but I had a really hard time believing that they were written in so formal a style. I like a well-written letter, but these letters included descriptive narrative that seems a bit too planned out to be spontaneous.
Having said that, whether the authenticity of the writing is plausible or not, the book is a great read....offering insights into both the world of impoverish More...
Having said that, whether the authenticity of the writing is plausible or not, the book is a great read....offering insights into both the world of impoverish More...
Jul 11, 2008
Holly
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This is the good version of "chick lit" - the kind that is less about shoes and great sales at Barney's and more about the truly deep friendships that women (who are lucky enough to do so) can form. This "book" is a collection of letters written during a year's time between a girl who goes to Africa to be a teacher in the Peace Corps and her friend left behind in New York, just having graduated college and getting her first job. The NY one is a bit annoying in that her life
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Jul 30, 2008
Sarah
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Apr 18, 2007
Anna
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this was the one of MANY peace corps memoirs i suffered through (reading material choices were limited to our paltry communal bookshelves in the volunteer lounge of the swaziland peace corps office).
anyway, i used to write a monthly literature review box or our volunteer newsletter, and one month i ranted about this genre. below are my thoughts:
Dissecting the Peace Corps Memoir
One of my least favorite genres of nonfiction is hands-down the “peace corps memoir.” I More...
anyway, i used to write a monthly literature review box or our volunteer newsletter, and one month i ranted about this genre. below are my thoughts:
Dissecting the Peace Corps Memoir
One of my least favorite genres of nonfiction is hands-down the “peace corps memoir.” I More...
Feb 08, 2010
Mandi
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jan 16, 2010
Matt
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Engaging and enjoyable. The story is told in letters between two friends, and the contrast between life in New York and life in verious Kenyan cities is striking.
I wish my friendly correspondence was as well written as this stuff, though. It's clever and witty and very real, all of which I appreciate. It's not genius, but it isn't supposed to be.
I wish my friendly correspondence was as well written as this stuff, though. It's clever and witty and very real, all of which I appreciate. It's not genius, but it isn't supposed to be.
Jan 14, 2009
Deenbat
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This is a wonderful collection of letters written by two friends: one in New York City and the other in Kenya for the Peace Corps. In spite of 180 degree differences in their daily lives for the year, they stay in touch with each other, both figuratively and literally. A lovely tribute to friendship and the art of letter writing.
May 14, 2011
Claudia
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It's about two friends in two very different lives writing to each other. One of them lives with her husband in Kenya in the Peace Corps and the other lives in New York City. It makes me ache a bit for my "innocent" traveling days! Anyway, it's a fast and easy read, and I adore friendship stories, so it's a two-thumbs-up so far!
Jan 03, 2010
Marissa
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A good friend of mine gave this to me when I came back from living in Malawi. It was a good quick read that gave me comfort and a sense of understanding as I readjusted to life back in the States. I would recomend it to anyone interested in serving with Peace Corps or those that have lived and traveled in Africa.
Jun 23, 2010
Maria (Ri)
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I loved this one! How extremely lucky are these two women to have such a strong and beautiful friendship! It made me want to write more letters - a truly lost art! Emails and IMs just aren't the same. Kenya sounds like it was a real adventure for Kate. I'm so glad to have experienced a little of it with her.
Nov 25, 2008
Stevie
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I really liked this book. It's rather a strange idea to make a book using nothing but very personal letters. However, that was what made it human and real and lovely. I hope that everyone has someone in their life like these two women are for each other. Being away from my "people" while reading this book made me really know and appreciate how much they are to me.
Aug 16, 2010
Corin
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cute book that honestly reflects the relationship between two female best friends. really liked the authors. book made me question the efficiency and helpfulness of the peace corps, though. recommended for a light, quick read with some substance, or as a gift for a girl friend.
Nov 21, 2008
Maurean
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This was an interesting enough read; I think reading the correspondences of these two friends was a great way to present the story, but I *am* glad it was only 200 pages long, as I found myself skimming parts of the letters toward the end (obviously, I'd make an AWFUL penpal!!)
Feb 28, 2009
Renata
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This was a super quick read. I like reading Peace Corps books to kind of compare notes. I am glad that I did not get Kate's Peace Corps placement. Anyway, I'd pretty much only recommend this to people interested in learning about Peace Corps--it was good, but not great. You know.
Sep 19, 2010
Erin
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Read this while in Kenya and it couldn't have been more perfect. Actual letters between 2 friends while one is in Africa with the Peace Corps. Hilarious, insightful, sad. Easy read---very short book....perfect for a plane or weekend.
Jul 10, 2010
Sara
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This was the type of book that I read and then wanted a friend to move far away so we could do the same thing! I liked reading about the friendship of these two women and their struggles during their time apart. Kate's story was particularly intriguing because I have so little knowledge about education in Africa. It kept me reading, which I was concerned about with the all letters format.
Aug 11, 2007
Joselle173
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While Kate (and her husband) are in the Peace Corps serving in Kenya and Hilary is in NYC living Sex in the City (or so it seems), they correspond to each other. The book is a compliation of their letters to each other. While the reviews of the book seemed to indicate the book is a deep exploration into friendship and modern women's lives, I found it to be less in-depth. The letters felt more like two women bantering back and forth, even about serious things. They are definitely witty, humorous
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Aug 11, 2011
I enjoyed this so much, I actually wished that these two friends had written more to each other over the year while one of them was in the Peace Corps (in Africa) with her husband.
Sep 22, 2011
Linds
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I enjoyed this -- it was more than just a bunch of letters, it was a good way to learn about schooling, and life generally, in Kenya. Although I relate more to the struggles of the woman living in NY, the letters from Kate (the Peace Corps volunteer) certainly put those struggles in perspective. It is a privilege to be able to worry about what job one wants and about finding someone to love.
Mar 19, 2010
Lynne
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I want to give one correspondent (the Peace Corps volunteer) a four star and her friend one star. The challenges faced by the volunteer were interesting, her friend's romantic trysts were not.
Feb 01, 2010
Falicia
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Funny, cute, smart and touching. If I had to describe my idea of the perfect friendship, I'd hand over this book. Couldn't put it down.
Aug 02, 2009
Eric
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An alright book. I really enjoyed the Peace Corps character (I can relate) and thoroughly despise the other character (can not relate).
Jan 28, 2009
Tricia
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Real-life letters between best friends. One is single in NYC and the other is a married Peace Corp volunteer in Kenya.
Jan 26, 2009
Elise
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I read this book a while ago and I recall really liking it. Although that might just be that I was in a memoir phase!
