Review: ‘Time of Exile’ is a classical of its own category

I haven’t read the first two parts of Gaither’s Europe Trilogy. Nor did I feel the need to. ‘Time of Exile’ is a strong work that has the potential to stand out on its own. Its protagonist ‘Elmer’ is seemingly a voice, a reflection and an apparition of every human down the street who finds this world embroiled in unnecessary politics and diplomacy.A long trail of writeups by the author and others to deliberately force the genre ‘political novel’ in the beginning makes the story predictable. Does it harm the reader interest? It does not, since Gaither has scripted the tale so intelligently that you keep yearning for more at the turn of every page. It happens because ‘Time of Exile’ proves to be a tale of our times where the governments are conspiring and hatching conspiracies. Most of the events captured the novel seem familiar for the globalized audience as they have the universal appeal.

The protagonist – Elmer – is forced to live in exile and remain underground in Serbia, Munich, Rome and Berlin. While the western intelligence services are chasing him constantly, an underground group run by Karl Heinz and Serbian friends protects him. This is the group that is committed at revealing the truth behind the global events or the unrealities spread by the western forces. ‘Time of Exile’ does not answer anything apparently. It, however, leaves the readers to find answers. Its characters are not relieved of the melancholy and uncertainty even in the end. Yet, it is a compelling story that brings every reader into the courtroom where he has to play the judge, the convict and the witness. This ability makes ‘Time of Exile’ a classical of its own category.