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The Exile of Sara Stevenson

by Darci Hannah (Goodreads Author)

3.51 of 5 stars 3.51 · rating details · 347 ratings · 97 reviews

In 1814, Sara Stevenson, the well-bred but high-spirited daughter of celebrated Scottish lighthouse designer Robert Stevenson, falls in love with a common sailor, Thomas Crichton. On the day of their clandestine elopement, Thomas mysteriously disappears, leaving Sara heartbroken, secretly pregnant, and at the mercy of her overbearing family. Refusing to relinquish her hope...more

Paperback, 400 pages

Published July 27th 2010 by Ballantine Books

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May 29, 2010 Misfit rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, one-time-read-only, get-it-from-the-library

(3.5) Edinburgh, 1814. Sarah Stevenson is the pampered daughter of Robert Stevenson, builder of lighthouses. Whilst on a boat tour, Sara meets and falls in love with sailor Thomas Crichton. Since Sara's parents would never consider Thomas a suitable match for her, the two plan to elope - but Sara ends up waiting in vain as Thomas never shows. Did he truly love her or was he just using her? A pregnant and broken-hearted Sara is banished by her family to the remote lighthouse at Cape Wrath, along...more (3.5) Edinburgh, 1814. Sarah Stevenson is the pampered daughter of Robert Stevenson, builder of lighthouses. Whilst on a boat tour, Sara meets and falls in love with sailor Thomas Crichton. Since Sara's parents would never consider Thomas a suitable match for her, the two plan to elope - but Sara ends up waiting in vain as Thomas never shows. Did he truly love her or was he just using her? A pregnant and broken-hearted Sara is banished by her family to the remote lighthouse at Cape Wrath, along with her maid Kate - the one who betrayed her secret lover to her parents and because of that Sara and Kate's relationship is somewhat tense - let alone her up and down relationship with William Campbell the current keeper of the light.

Just when Sara believes she might let Thomas go and regain some balance in her life, a package arrives for Sarah that upsets her new-found peace. Who is Alexander Seawell and how did he come in possession of Sara's gift to her beloved Thomas? Will Alexander be able to solve the mystery of Thomas' disappearance? Which man is destined for Sara, William or Alexander? Or will she find her true-love Thomas once again?

Well, you know I'm not telling. While I did enjoy this, the author just took too long getting to the big tah-dah and things started to drag on a bit. Written in the first person narrative (not my favorite) resulted in a wee bit too much of Sara's constant snooping into other people's business and searching their rooms. Bah. I really didn't warm up much to Sara, instead of the vibrant, independent lass she should have been she came across a bit too whiny and, well, annoying. Big as a house pregnant and she's walking the moors at 3:00 AM? Standing at the edge of those big cliffs over the sea without wondering if she just might slip and fall?

I'll pass on standing on the edge, thank you very much. In the end, I found this to be a good book just not great. As noted, I didn't warm much to Sara, nor pick up on any real chemistry between her and Thomas either, nor any emotional investment in any of the characters. The northern Scotland setting was lovely, but I would like to see that developed more as well - see Mary Stewart's Wildfire at Midnight and how she set the mood on the Isle of Skye. This is a nice first outing for a new author, but to compare this to Dame Du Maurier? I think not. 3.5/5 stars. (less)

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Dec 04, 2010 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reads, historicals, romances

Rating clarification: 2.5 stars

While I do appreciate the thought and intriguing concept that went into Darci Hannah's debut novel, I wasn't as thrilled with it as I quite honestly expected to be.

The plot: Sara, Stevenson, a young woman from 1814 Scotland, falls in love with an unsuitable man (sailor Thomas Crichton), plans to elope and finds that she has been abandoned and left pregnant by her erswhile lover. Her angry parents banish her to Cape Wrath, a remote lighthouse off the rugged Scottish...more

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Jun 27, 2010 Barb added it · review of another edition

Shelves: gave-it-a-try-and-then-gave-up

discovered this new novel somewhere along my travels and quickly marked it down on my 'to read' list. So, I was excited when I saw it being offered on the Vine program, I quickly snatched it up and eagerly anticipated reading it.

Unfortunately, I found very little that engaged me in this story. The characters aren't particularly likable or interesting, they all seem rather stereotypical. The story moves rather slowly and there just wasn't anything that interested me enough to keep me reading. I...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Gaile rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 19th-century, historical-fiction, favorites

The cover is misleading as the woman is not wearing the style worn in 1814 which is the year the novel starts.
A poignant story and deftly plotted, it begins commonly enough with the exile of a pregnant unwed woman to a lonely lighthouse on the northern coast of Scotland. The lighthouse keeper, William Campbell is a dark and brooding man much like the Rochester Of Jane Eyre. Yet Sara Stevenson discovers another side to his secretive personality.
The arrival of a mysterious package containing a gif...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Shawn Spjut rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Exile of Sara Stevenson; Darci Hannah, 2010; Ballantine Books

"The Exile of Sara Stevenson" was Hannah's first novel, but I began my own introduction to her authorship via her second, "The Angel of Blythe Hall".

As with the second, the author picked two of my favorite things to write about; Scotland and fantasy (well the fantasy part was a little on the light side, but there none the less). Now I'm not a huge fan of romance, but if done with the right blend of history and quality character dev...more

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Oct 07, 2012 bookczuk rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookcrossing, first-novel-or-book, made-me-look-something-up, skim-read-til-the-end, thougt-i-was-gonna-like

Girl from a well-to-do Edinburgh family falls in love with a sailor boy that her family doesn't like. And when she finds herself up the proverbial creek, and that he's vanished on the very night that they were to run off to Gretna Green, what's a family to do, but ship her off to the country to hide the shame. Only in this case, it's 1814 and the family's trade is building lighthouses, so she's banished to the furthest outpost, a lonely lighthouse on Cape Wrath. There, not only must she contend...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Maia B. rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: boring, historical, mediocre-writing, nothing-special, beach-reads

Note: Spoilers included.

Sara Stevenson: I'm a beautiful self-centered girl. Ooh, he's hot.

Thomas Crichton: By the way, even though I've only seen you twice and had a conversation with you once, I love you. (disappears)

SS: Oops, I'm pregnant.

Her Family: Off to Cape Wrath with you.

SS: I'm miserable, but strangely attracted to this weirdo lighthouse keeper.

William Campbell: I am a total jerk, but strangely attracted to that obnoxious girl living by my lighthouse.

SS: I want Thomas.

[Reader: Spare me....more

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Aug 09, 2010 Terra rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book you're either going to like or don't like. I found the beginning a bit slow but it does pick up if you stick with it and the ending is so emotionally tolling that you can't help the tears cascading down your cheeks for our Hero and Heroine.

The story is a pure love story with a touch of the otherworld. Set in the northern most hostile parts of Scotland it is a very hard life for those who choose to live here and even harder for those who are banished to this remote island. Never the les...more

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May 09, 2010 Debbie Maskus rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is an advance copy of a novel to be published in July 2010. The story is set on Cape Wrath, an actual lighthouse, built by author, Robert Louis Stevenson's grandfather, in Scotland. The novel takes place in 1814-1815, whereas the actual lighthouse was not built until 1823. The story encompasses two wars: the Napoleanic Wars of 1793 to 1815, and World War I from 1914-1918 via a ghost/angel that transcends the years. While reading the story, I thought of Robert Nathan's, The Portrait of Jenni...more

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May 06, 2010 Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Young, wealthy,Sara Stevenson has been banished to a remote lighthouse on the northern tip of Scotland after her parents discover her failed attempt to elope with a 'common' sailor. On the evening of their elopement, Thomas Crichton mysteriously disappears leaving Sara pregnant and alone. Sara pines for him to rescue her, but she does not know if he is alive or dead.

Darci Hannah's writing is fabulous. I loved her characters, descriptions, and dialogue. Each was very believable and engaging. The...more

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Jun 15, 2010 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the first 3/4 of The Exile of Sara Stevenson. It's not high literature nor is it a particularly informative work of historical fiction - I'd classify it as a historical romance. However, I enjoyed the picturesque setting of the coastal Scottish Highlands of the early 19th Century.

The novel is about a young woman, daughter of a famed lighthouse designer, who finds herself in an awkward predicament for a wealthy 19th century woman from a Calvinist family: she is pregnant and unma...more I really enjoyed the first 3/4 of The Exile of Sara Stevenson. It's not high literature nor is it a particularly informative work of historical fiction - I'd classify it as a historical romance. However, I enjoyed the picturesque setting of the coastal Scottish Highlands of the early 19th Century.

The novel is about a young woman, daughter of a famed lighthouse designer, who finds herself in an awkward predicament for a wealthy 19th century woman from a Calvinist family: she is pregnant and unmarried. The romantic Sara falls in love with a penniless sailor, notwithstanding her family's likely disapproval, but finds herself pregnant and abandoned by her lover after they make plans to elope. Sara finds herself banished to the lighthouse, along with her companion Kate (who betrayed her to her parents), Kate's husband, and William Campbell, the mysterious lighthouse keeper. The novel enters into a "fish out of water" story, as Sara struggles to adapt to her new life, far from Edinburgh and without the trappings of privilege. Simultaneously, she tries to figure out what happened to her beloved Thomas Chrichton, refusing to accept that he used her and abandoned her. The mystery is heightened after Sara receives a mysterious package and letter from an English stranger, leaving open the questions of whether Thomas was alive or dead and whether Thomas used and debauched Sara. Through her correspondence with this stranger, Sara tries to come to terms with her feelings about Thomas and her predicament. She also tries to come to terms with her companions, with whom she is often in conflict.

Unfortunately, the plot degenerated in the last quarter of the book. I had predicted Thomas Chrichton' whereabouts pretty early on as well as certain other plot developments relating to Sara's ultimate happiness. The predictability, for me, was not the most disappointing part of the last hundred pages, however. Instead, I really did not enjoy the supernatural element of the story. I don't want to elaborate on this to avoid spoiling the ending. Suffice it to say, though, that I felt that it came out of nowhere (in a contrived way, not in a good way) and didn't really add much to the plot. I also did not think it was particlarly well-executed.

Overall, The Exile of Sara Stevenson is a good read, though not a great one. I think readers of Historical Romance should enjoy this novel, notwithstanding the disappointing ending. 3.5 stars.

Reviewed for Amazon VINE.(less)

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Aug 23, 2011 Shannon rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Sara Stevenson, a smart and strong-willed young woman living in the 1800's, finds herself unmarried and pregnant. As today's readers can guess, her wealthy family turns on her and sends her to a lighthouse off the coast of Scotland in order to have her baby. Sara is torn by the love she holds for her intended and her sorrow due to his possible betrayal. As time passes, she comes to respect and respond to another man. Amongst this traumatic turmoil, the author weaves tales of ghosts and hauntings...more

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May 13, 2010 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was such a great book! With the stroke of her pen, Darci Hannah brings to life memorable characters in a mysterious story that will keep you reading long past bed time. The story takes place around 1814, shortly after the Napoleonic Wars. Young, wealthy, and spirited Sara Stevenson is forced to move from her home in Edinburgh to a remote lighthouse on Cape Wrath after her family discovers she had fallen in love with Thomas Crichton, a common sailor, and was pregnant. The night before they...more

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May 12, 2010 Doreen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I really wanted to like this book. Even when the editor's note compared it to novels like Wuthering Heights and The Time Traveler's Wife (both of which I loathed,) I persevered in my hope that this would be a good read indeed. And while I didn't find this novel as objectionable as the others, I did it find it sorely lacking in several areas.

The first was characterization and, possibly due to this, sheer likability. There is nothing to recommend the protagonist beyond the author's putting admirin...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookcrossing, fiction-general

This book doesn't deserve 4 stars, but it was better than 3 (darnit, when is Goodreads going to allow half stars?). My rating: 3.5 stars.

The premise of this book sounded interesting, and in general it played out well, but it still fell short in some aspects. I enjoyed the setting in the Highlands of 19th century Scotland, and also some of the historical references to famous men in literature like Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.

The story itself was somewhat interesting, but it was hard...more

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May 08, 2010 Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

MAY BE SOME SPOILERS......

Love, mystery, secrets, betrayal, ghosts, letters, smugglers, Scottish history and life in the 1800's.....Sara Stevenson was a privileged Scottish lass who wasn't one to conform to the norms of Scottish rules for young ladies.

Her father was a famous lighthouse engineer and had Sara accompany him on a boat trip when she was 18 years old. While on the voyage, she fell in love with one of the sailors who of course was not of her social rank. Her father suspects this love a...more MAY BE SOME SPOILERS......

Love, mystery, secrets, betrayal, ghosts, letters, smugglers, Scottish history and life in the 1800's.....Sara Stevenson was a privileged Scottish lass who wasn't one to conform to the norms of Scottish rules for young ladies.

Her father was a famous lighthouse engineer and had Sara accompany him on a boat trip when she was 18 years old. While on the voyage, she fell in love with one of the sailors who of course was not of her social rank. Her father suspects this love affair and is completely against their relationship since he has another wealthy man in mind for Sara.

Sara gets herself pregnant by this sailor, and her father banishes her to Cape Wrath which is a remote place on the northwesterly point of Great Britain north of Edinburgh, Scotland. Cape Wrath had terrible weather no matter what season it was and is a place that had no luxuries Sara was used to. Sara, along with her maid, Katie, and the maid's husband, Robbie, endure the life at Cape Wrath. Sara has to cook and clean which is something she never had to do. Sara yearns daily for Thomas, her lost lover. She hasn't seen him since they planned a never-to-be elopement.

Sara, Katie, Robbie, and Mr. Campbell, the lighthouse keeper, are four of only a few inhabitants living there. A few cottages are also on Cape Wrath. Sara and her maid venture out one day during an awful snowstorm to find their neighbors because Sara is feeling so lonely and isolated. They take off on horseback and do meet a woman that they befriend and who will trade cooking lessons for learning how to read and write.

The woman they visited (Mrs. MacKay), her husband, and their two children appear at the lighthouse one day and Sara finds out some things about Mr. Campbell during a heated argument with Mr. MacKay. Apparently Mr. Campbell and Mr. McKay had some sort of mariner disagreement last fall and Mr. Campbell "lured" him and his family to the lighthouse to try to make amends.

Meanwhile Sara and Mr. Campbell develop some sort of trust relationship, and Mr. Campbell knows he has the responsibility to keep Sara safe and take care of her during her pregnancy. One morning a package and a letter arrive at the dock from a man named Mr. Seawell, and this brings more mystery about Thomas and why he never showed up the day they were going to run away. Afterall, Thomas said he loved her and would move heaven and earth to be with her. Sara writes back to Mr. Seawell questioning about Thomas and the watch that was in the package....the very watch that Sara had given Thomas and had inscripted a lover's message on the back. Sara asks Mr. Seawell to shed some light about Thomas and if he is alive. They began a correspondence that tells of Mr. Seawell's life and Thomas's life.

After all the tension about the package and letter and also a letter to Katie from Sara's mother, Sara takes off from the lighthouse and goes to Mary MacKay and her family because she is disgusted about what she finds out her family had written to Katie and something about Mr. Campbell. Sara stays for a week, and Mr. Campbell is fuming about this visit since he is to be taking care of Sara according to Sara's father who had made these arrangements before Sara's original arrival.

Another letter was in post at the jetty when Sara returns from the visit, and she begins to become suspicious about who is really sending her these letters. The letters, Sara, Thomas, and Mr. Seawell make the ending confusing, unbelievable, but unforgettable....terrific writer.

You will enjoy the book, and I want to end my review with this quote that is from Page 56, but rings true until the end of the book: "But all too soon it came back to me, and once again I found it hard to sleep at night knowing he was out there....somewhere."(less)

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Jul 28, 2010 Alayne Bushey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Set in 1814, The Exile of Sara Stevenson is a richly woven historical fiction novel told from the viewpoint of the titles namesake, Sara Stevenson.

Banished to the Cape Wrath lighthouse on the blustery northern point of Scotland, Sara is punished for falling in love with a sailor, and ending up pregnant with his child. Miserable, forced to make company with the other unhappy residents of the lighthouse, Sara believes her lover, Thomas Chrichton, will rescue her. The days drift by until a mysterio...more Set in 1814, The Exile of Sara Stevenson is a richly woven historical fiction novel told from the viewpoint of the titles namesake, Sara Stevenson.

Banished to the Cape Wrath lighthouse on the blustery northern point of Scotland, Sara is punished for falling in love with a sailor, and ending up pregnant with his child. Miserable, forced to make company with the other unhappy residents of the lighthouse, Sara believes her lover, Thomas Chrichton, will rescue her. The days drift by until a mysterious letter with a special gift she had given to Thomas arrives. Further correspondence with the author of the letter results in Sara’s confusion to his identity, and to the health of her child’s father. Searching for answers, Sara continues to write to her new friend, but wonders if perhaps his identity is that of William Campbell, the tormented keeper of the light on Cape Wrath. As friends become enemies and vice versa, Sara must hold out hope for the sake of her child amid the intrepid storms and dangerous coast of Northern Scotland.

The first half of this novel was lovely; a true historical the likes of which I haven’t read in quite sometime. This is mostly due to Hannah’s writing which was remarkably authentic. A current historical fiction novel is usually written with a contemporary voice, but Hannah’s is more true to the time period, making Sara’s story that much more sympathetic.

The beautiful writing continues through the second half of the book, but there’s a sudden shift in Hannah’s narrative tools. I refer to a mysterious boat which appears and disappears into the fog every time it delivers a letter to Sara. This is the mystical aspect of the synopsis which is used for promotional panache, however it doesn’t make itself known until two-thirds of the way through the novel, marking an unsettling breach in the realistic narrative. Had Hannah introduced a bit of the mysterious earlier in the novel, I would have believed in the boat’s ethereal qualities. As it was, I knew where Hannah was going with the boat, but it left me a bit cynical.

The end of the book delves further into the unworldly theme, but it doesn’t have much time to do so, which reinforces my opinion that had there been even a hint of magic in the beginning of the novel, it would have brought the plot full circle. Unfortunately I felt as though the end was meant for a different novel with the same set of characters.

Regardless, I still enjoyed The Exile of Sara Stevenson, and I think most readers who are interested in this type of story will. Darci Hannah is definitely a skillful writer and I’ll be interested to see what she releases in the future.
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May 17, 2010 Soobee72 rated it 3 of 5 stars

I won an advance reading copy from Goodreads in a giveaway (thank you!).

I enjoyed the book and the characters. The writing is vaguely reminiscent of books written a hundred or so years ago, sort of Louisa May Alcott-ish. I don't really know how to explain it further.

There is a twist to the story such that I find that I cannot say too much about the story without giving away spoilers so be warned.

I had no idea what this book was about other than the blurb provided here. I was expecting it to be...more

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Nov 13, 2011 Mandy Fernandez rated it 3 of 5 stars

My friend Jen let me borrow this book. I don't recall reading any kind of time-travel, historical and romantic fiction before. I was pleasantly surprised by it and my interest in the story. I'm not always one to enjoy reading tales of sailors and events folding around the sea waters but I did like this one. The main character, Sara Stevenson, was amusing and fiery. Her loyalty was amazing and the hurt that she was shown by her parents was shocking and cruel. She's the kind of friend or sister I'...more

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Aug 27, 2010 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher from the July Goodreads newsletter. I enjoy reading historical fiction, and this book falls into that category; however, it's a bit unusual as it's also a love story, a ghost story, and a bit of a mystery. Set in Scotland in the early 1800's, it's the story of Sara Stevenson, who meets a sailor employed on her father's boat. Against her family's wishes, Sara falls in love and establishes a relationship with him .... and faces the consequence...more

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Aug 17, 2010 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

This was a really great book- I loved the main charecter Sara and how she stood up to her family and friends in a time when women weren't supposed to have a mind of their own. I thought the supernatural aspects of the book were well played too. Without giving too much away, the first line of the book is "Someone once told me that every tower had a ghost, and every ghost had a story", so going in I was prepared for some ghosts. However, Hannah used the idea of ghosts reaching out to those still a...more

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Nov 15, 2010 Mary Mcelveen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Interesting historical novel premise--girl falls in love, is set to elope with the man; he never shows up and leaves her pregnant and at the mercy of her formerly loving family--who turn on her in a heartbeat and send her off to the wilds of Scotland (actually a lighthouse in Sutherland) with the woman who had informed on her. It is suggested that there is an element of time travel involved.

Looking for a sort of reverse Outlander, I picked this up. Bad idea. It's a fairly pedestrian romance nove...more

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May 14, 2010 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

This was a book I won through a Goodreads Giveaway. It was a good historical novel with a bit of a twist. I loved the author's writing style which made the characters and the setting very vivid and compelling.
Sara Stevenson is sent to the coast of Scotland, a place called Cape Wrath, after she falls in love with a sailor and becomes pregnant by him. Her family is appalled and sends her to have the baby in secret. While at Cape Wrath, Sara falls for the mysterious lighthouse keeper, William Campb...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Anne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Taking place in 1814 – 1816, Sara Stevenson is in love with the wrong man from her parents’ perspective. When she refuses more suitable offers of marriage, she is banished to a lighthouse her father designed on the remote Cape Wrath. Sara learns to accept her exile, befriends a nearby family and becomes intrigued with the light-keeper. Sara never stops believing that her beloved Thomas will find her until she receives a mysterious package from an antiquarian in Oxford. Through correspondence wit...more

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Sep 14, 2010 Carol rated it 3 of 5 stars

I mostly enjoyed this author's writing of this, her debut novel. However, the author spends way too much time extolling the protagonist's first love and how perfect he was, when frankly, i never believed this connection was anything but a first love folly. As i thought her Romeo was probably a snake from the get go, i had a hard time thinking he was anything but, even when told otherwise. Even so, i would have originally given this book 4 stars for characterization, except for the last 50-75 pag...more

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Jun 01, 2010 Brandy rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a very good first novel, and I am honored to have received an advance copy. Darci Hannah has written a very readable story, set on a desolate portion of the Scottish coastline, and a plot that keeps one guessing until the very end. Her dialogue for the most part is natural and believable. I should have loved this novel since I loved the books it is compared to such as the Time Traveler's Wife and Gabaldon's Outlander series, but I didn't really like the main character. She had no strengt...more

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Apr 21, 2013 JG (The Introverted Reader) rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: LCE

Recommended to JG (The Introverted Reader) by: Alayne Bushey

Shelves: own, fiction, read_in_2012, 3_stars, author_american, covers_i_like, historical_fiction, magical_realism, setting_uk, womens_fiction

Sara Stevenson has shamed her family and has been exiled to a remote Scottish island for months. Along with her lady's maid, Kate; Kate's husband; and the lightkeeper, William, she will have to weather a long winter, unsure of the fate of her lover.

I thought this was pretty good. It's not exactly my typical read, but I still enjoyed it.

My one real problem was that it was a bit too romance-y. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just not my thing. There are some supernatural elements that just...more

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Nov 05, 2011 Hallie Sawyer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

"Och, there's naethin' sae grand as young love, forbye! 'Tis a pity yours need be shoved down a mine shaft, concealed in a subterranean warren for only the creatures of the night to see, and not allowed to shine forth like one of your father's great lights. Perhaps we'd all benefit from such a glow as the one hidden beneath the wan skin o' your face."

This 400 page historical fiction debut novel was published in July of 2010 by Ballantine Books. It is set in 1815 Scotland and is cloaked with myst...more "Och, there's naethin' sae grand as young love, forbye! 'Tis a pity yours need be shoved down a mine shaft, concealed in a subterranean warren for only the creatures of the night to see, and not allowed to shine forth like one of your father's great lights. Perhaps we'd all benefit from such a glow as the one hidden beneath the wan skin o' your face."

This 400 page historical fiction debut novel was published in July of 2010 by Ballantine Books. It is set in 1815 Scotland and is cloaked with mystery, romance, and a touch of the supernatural.

Sara Stevenson is the rebellious daughter of well-known Scottish lighthouse designer, Robert Stevenson. After her family discovers her fruitful romance with a young sailor, Thomas Crichton, from a recent voyage, Thomas mysteriously disappears and she is banished to one of her father's lighthouses located on Cape Wrath. Sara prays for Thomas to find her, not knowing whether he is alive or dead.

Cape Wrath is a desolate and eerie landscape which seems to match the demeanor of the resident light-keeper, William Campbell. Sara isn't alone as she is accompanied by Tom and Kate McKinnion who are the new assistant light-keeper and her companion, respectively. William isn't thrilled at this new disturbance to his isolated existence and keeps to himself, shielding his secretive past like a shroud. Sara instantly bristles in his existence and intentionally goes out of her way to defy him every chance she gets. Their tumultuous relationship threatens to sink them both like ships sailing near the Cape's jagged shores. Their pasts are illuminated and they must make a choice whether to fight or give in to the ghosts that haunt them.

I read this novel in three days, toting it wherever I went and staying up until the wee hours of the night. I was dying to know what was going to happen as the tension escalated page after page. Sara was such a refreshing character to read because she was a black sheep as far as heroines go. She was outspoken, defiant, stubborn, and sarcastic; all the things women in that time period were not. William Campbell was just as intriguing as mystery swirled around him and his past. The banter between these two was entertaining and found myself chuckling at the witty remarks they threw at each other.

The story's setting was mostly in Scotland, always a favorite of mine, and the author did a great job of incorporating the Scottish brogue when appropriate. I really enjoyed the author's voice and felt her prose was spot on. She incorporated history nicely, even though she had to rearrange a few things to fit her novel's time frame, and placed a couple of real life characters into the book. Sara Stevenson's father, Robert Stevenson, was a real light house engineer and also the grandfather to Robert Louis Stevenson, the famed author. Also, Walter Scott appeared on board the voyage where she meets her beloved and provides a delightful insight to what he might have been like.

This isn't so much a romance novel as it is a romantic thriller. If you enjoy authors like Kate Morton and a good love story, I highly recommend this book. This quote from character Walter Scott in this story states it perfectly:

"As all good books draw to an end, so I learned, do voyages. And just like a story that sweeps you away, one becomes ever conscious of the dwindling pages, feeling a bit sad that the end is drawing near and praying that it would go on well after the last page is turned."
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Jul 19, 2010 Chad rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Well done to Darci Hannah with her first novel, The Exile of Sara Stevenson. I received this advance reader's edition through the Goodreads first reads giveaway program. I am so grateful for receiving this book, I really enjoyed the story and setting. Thank you to Rochelle, who listed this book for giveaway.

Sara Stevenson is exiled to a lighthouse on Cape Wrath, which is as remote a place as possible, by her father who designed the very lighthouse that she makes her home. The reason for her exil...more

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Jun 07, 2010 Auriette rated it 4 of 5 stars

I won a copy of "The Exile of Sara Stevenson" here on goodreads. I finished it a couple of days ago, and I've been mulling over what I should say about it. I was very intrigued by the blurb that suggested a supernatural element.

I began reading the book during my day at Jury Duty, and it was a great way to pass the time. The characters are all well-drawn and intriguing. It's written in first-person, and we can tell that the other people populating the story have secrets of their own, but we must...more I won a copy of "The Exile of Sara Stevenson" here on goodreads. I finished it a couple of days ago, and I've been mulling over what I should say about it. I was very intrigued by the blurb that suggested a supernatural element.

I began reading the book during my day at Jury Duty, and it was a great way to pass the time. The characters are all well-drawn and intriguing. It's written in first-person, and we can tell that the other people populating the story have secrets of their own, but we must discover them along with Sara.

I found the dialogue to be very well written. Almost everyone who appears in the book is Scottish, but they speak in a variety of dialects, and author Darci Hannah does a great job of writing so that I could really hear the characters' voices.

The farther along I got into the book, I found myself wondering when the mysterious time travel element would come into play. It's well over halfway into the book when we get our first inkling of what's going to happen (or what's happening, rather).

When we reach the denouement, I found it a little odd and not entirely satisfying. On the surface, it's the kind of lighthouse story that might be passed along from generation to generation. Maybe there's just a little too much to it. I don't want to say too much and ruin it for anyone.

I enjoy historical romances, some historical non-fiction, and science fiction. I'm not someone who usually enjoys "good literature." Please don't take that the wrong way, Darci! Aside from that little bit of oddness at the end, I really enjoyed the book. I would say that I might have enjoyed it more had the supernatural element not been revealed in the cover blurb; then the events would have been more mysterious and let me "play along" with Sara trying to figure out what's happening. However, that element is part of what interested me in reading the book, and not giving a hint could also disappoint readers who don't like that kind of thing in their fiction.

I look forward to hearing what other readers thought of this book.(less)

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Historical Fiction

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Romance

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Cultural > Scotland

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Science Fiction > Time Travel

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Fantasy

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Romance > Historical Romance

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Mystery

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Mystery > Historical Mystery

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Fantasy > Paranormal

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Gothic

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About Darci Hannah

Darci Hannah, born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago and a graduate of Indiana University, has skied, paddled, sailed and hiked a good chunk of North America while toting her favorite, dog-eared works of historical fiction along with her. As a self-proclaimed student of life who is “far from passing the test,” Darci continued her self-education after college by indulging her passion for travel,...more

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The Angel of Blythe Hall: A Historical Novel

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