The exiles at home (by Hilary McKay)

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It’s a long time since I read ‘The exiles at home’ by Hilary McKay. I don’t know why I left it so long, as these books are thoroughly enjoyable. I reread the first book in the series, ‘The exiles’, at the end of December, so I felt as if the characters were familiar to me. Hilary McKay’s writing is excellent; she has a gift of characterisation, which makes her people memorable. 

Ruth is the oldest of the Conway offspring. She’s thirteen at the start of the book, and tries to be responsible. But she has a tendency to act without thinking. She is a very good artist, but generally uninterested in school. The next child, Naomi, is twelve, and her main interest is gardening. 

The ‘little ones’ are Rachel, who is nearly nine when this book opens, and Phoebe who is nearly seven. Rachel generally tries to stay out of trouble; she’s usually placid and practical. She’s also very keen on eating. Phoebe is much more intuitive and tends to drift through life with little interest in the consequences of her actions.

The Christmas holidays have just started, and they all - Naomi in particular - are hoping for snow. To their delight, their wish is granted, and Rachel announces, on Christmas Eve, that what she really wants is a sledge. I don’t know why the Conway girls continue to be known as the ‘exiles’ since it was only in the first book that they felt exiled to the wilds of Cumbria with their unpredictable ‘Big’ Grandma. In this book, Big Grandma is staying with them for Christmas, and generously gives each of the girls a ten-pound note.

This book was first published in 1993, when ten pounds was worth a lot more than it is now. Phoebe decides to put hers in her train-shaped piggy bank - the only problem being that it’s impossible to get anything out without smashing it. Rachel is persuaded to put hers in a Post Office account, although she’s very suspicious, and wants to keep checking that they still have it.

On the first day of the spring term, Ruth doesn’t feel well, and spends the day in the library. She learns about sponsoring children in Africa, so they can be educated… and decides to sign up. She pretends to be eighteen, and sends off a form with her ten pounds. 

Then she realises that she’ll have to find the same amount every month. She tells Naomi about it, but not their parents… and the bulk of the book involves the two of them - and, eventually all four of the girls - doing what they can to raise funds to send to their sponsored child, a boy called Joseck. 

Naturally, some of their ideas are crazy, and don’t last very long. But Ruth discovers that she’s good with babies - she remembers Phoebe as a baby - and is asked to babysit for her neighbour two or three times per week. And Naomi offers to do some gardening for an elderly couple who have just fired their previous gardener.

The scenes involving baby Peter are quite amusing, and made me smile, as did some of the odder ideas that the girls come up with. But the scenes with the elderly couple (Toby and Emma are in their mid-nineties) are poignant; they are both very frail, and it’s clear from comments made by others that they don’t have all that long left. They’re aware of this too, and insist that Naomi plant quick-growing seeds rather than shrubs or plants that will take years to mature.

I very much liked the letters to and from Joseck, too. He’s thrilled to have a sponsor, and very interested in the girls’ lives. We don’t see much of him or his environment, but enough to make it feel like a believable part of the story. 

What I like most is that all the girls are, at heart, both kind and generous. They genuinely care for each other, despite disagreements and squabbles. They want to honour Ruth’s commitment to Joseck even if some of their methods are extreme. And they learn to care deeply for Toby and Emma; Naomi refuses to charge them anything after the first couple of months, as they don’t seem to have a lot of money.

The book takes place over the course of almost a year. I hadn’t remembered anything about it, and found myself quite engrossed; it was hard to put down, once I had started. It would probably appeal to people (like me) who grew up with Noel Streatfeild’s novels, and still reread those regularly. But it’s light enough that it could also appeal to older children and younger teens who like family-based books like this.

I loved rereading ‘The exiles at home’, and would recommend it to anyone who likes this kind of thoughtful children’s book.

Review copyright 2026 Sue's Book Reviews