Love in Exile is a short, thought provoking non-fiction book reflecting on the authors experience of love across her life - not just romantic but platonic, familial, spiritual and love of the self. It’s a book that’s part Notes on Heartbreak by Annie Lord, part Radical Intimacy by Sophia Rosa and part First Comes Love by Tom Rasmussen - all of which I enjoyed and I similarly liked this a lot. My favourite chapter was that on self-care, which rightfully criticises the phrase for what it’s come to signify in culture but also provides a interesting alternative that I found very persuasive and moving. Four stars as while I liked this a lot, it just wasn’t long enough for me to really find it a satisfying read.

This book felt very close and comforting to me because I as a trans person have experienced and felt many of the things that Faye discusses. This is not to say that every trans person has dealt with the same things but coincidentally Faye and I have to an extent.
Reading this felt very honest and raw, there is more of a Memoire/ anecdotal component as compared to Faye’s other book (the transgender issue), which has made this book an easier read for me personally. There are still many resources backing Faye’s claims in her bibliography which I found to be quite interesting and helpful.
I was honestly a little upset when this book ended because I just wanted more of it.

I will definitely purchase this book as soon as it hits the shelves!