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Sunset Exiles
“M.J. Camilleri’s novel is all about events: how the big ones and the small ones change the course of our destiny. All of this wrapped up with a feel-good vibe.”
— Robert Pisani
“Tell her to stay.”
“It will all end in tears, you know.”
“Maybe it will. As it has done many times before. But maybe, just maybe, it won’t. And if there’s one thing that’s obvious about you, it’s that you’re still looking, still trying. So give this a shot.”
Toni Tanti has left a marriage and a busy career, hoping for a stress-free life of solitude in his old Sliema flat. Tragedy strikes, and over the course of a few October days, Toni’s life — and the entire island of Malta — is thrown into turmoil. But with tragedy comes clarity, and Toni is about to discover what his restless mind has been searching for.
— Robert Pisani
“Tell her to stay.”
“It will all end in tears, you know.”
“Maybe it will. As it has done many times before. But maybe, just maybe, it won’t. And if there’s one thing that’s obvious about you, it’s that you’re still looking, still trying. So give this a shot.”
Toni Tanti has left a marriage and a busy career, hoping for a stress-free life of solitude in his old Sliema flat. Tragedy strikes, and over the course of a few October days, Toni’s life — and the entire island of Malta — is thrown into turmoil. But with tragedy comes clarity, and Toni is about to discover what his restless mind has been searching for.
328 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2025
16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 29, 2025
Life stuff. Loved it.
June 8, 2025
I had the pleasure of reading this book in an earlier draft and it's great to now read it in its final, published form.
There are so many things to love about this book; setting character and plot are all highly engaging. It is set in Malta where I have never been but having read this, I almost feel I know it. The alleged murder of controversial local anti corruption journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia, provides the background for the story of Toni, local stationer and aging Romeo, as he comes to terms with lessons learnt from his past.
His shop in Sliema, Malta, is a microcosm of society with various characters passing through, showing the reader Toni's place in the community and illustrating the differing views of Malta, and reactions to Daphne's murder. Toni's flat is his oasis of calm with a lifetime's collection of artefacts and the memories they hold of his failed relationships.
Trying to avoid spoilers here, but something happens to Toni which makes him think hard about his life and those past relationships and how they have formed him as a person. And then, through circumstance, he meets Lucia who comes quietly into his world to challenge how he thinks about love, life and how best to live.
One of those books where you miss the characters when you've finished it. Highly recommended.
There are so many things to love about this book; setting character and plot are all highly engaging. It is set in Malta where I have never been but having read this, I almost feel I know it. The alleged murder of controversial local anti corruption journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia, provides the background for the story of Toni, local stationer and aging Romeo, as he comes to terms with lessons learnt from his past.
His shop in Sliema, Malta, is a microcosm of society with various characters passing through, showing the reader Toni's place in the community and illustrating the differing views of Malta, and reactions to Daphne's murder. Toni's flat is his oasis of calm with a lifetime's collection of artefacts and the memories they hold of his failed relationships.
Trying to avoid spoilers here, but something happens to Toni which makes him think hard about his life and those past relationships and how they have formed him as a person. And then, through circumstance, he meets Lucia who comes quietly into his world to challenge how he thinks about love, life and how best to live.
One of those books where you miss the characters when you've finished it. Highly recommended.
February 27, 2025
It's the kind of novel that sweeps you up effortlessly, its pacing so smooth that you don’t realize how much you’re absorbing until it's time to stop reading and get on with your day, but then realise you're still thinking about it hours later. Every page is rich with meaning, but the story never drags—each moment carrying weight without feeling heavy.
As a local, I was transported. Walking alongside Toni felt like rediscovering my own home through a different lens.
But beyond the setting, what lingers most is the novel’s take on love in every chapter of life. It’s nuanced, thought-provoking, and deeply human. The book doesn’t hand you easy answers; it invites you to sit with its questions, long after you’ve turned the last page.
As a local, I was transported. Walking alongside Toni felt like rediscovering my own home through a different lens.
But beyond the setting, what lingers most is the novel’s take on love in every chapter of life. It’s nuanced, thought-provoking, and deeply human. The book doesn’t hand you easy answers; it invites you to sit with its questions, long after you’ve turned the last page.
April 7, 2025
A delightful read and a truly engaging story that is honest in expressing the vulnerabilities and sensitivities of the human condition through the "lived" experiences of its fictional, yet genuinly relateable characters.
That this is the author's first novel is both astonishing and inspiring. Beautifully conceived, thoughtfully constructed, deeply engrossing and satisfying at every turn of a page. One surrenders oneself involuntarily - emotionally, intellectually and compationetly - to sometimes unbearably close encounters with the soul...one's own.
Sun Set exiles is a screenplay for the heart, mind, body and soul.
Prosit Mark!
That this is the author's first novel is both astonishing and inspiring. Beautifully conceived, thoughtfully constructed, deeply engrossing and satisfying at every turn of a page. One surrenders oneself involuntarily - emotionally, intellectually and compationetly - to sometimes unbearably close encounters with the soul...one's own.
Sun Set exiles is a screenplay for the heart, mind, body and soul.
Prosit Mark!
April 1, 2025
There's loads to say about this book, but for now, I'll just say this: this book needs to be made into a film. Someone has to do it. Please.
April 26, 2025
This is the second book I’ve read by Camilleri, and his writing style is truly unique and distinctive.
Sunset Exiles explores the everyday struggles and events that shape our lives—both the big moments and the small, each leaving its mark in different ways.
The story centers around Toni, who was born and raised in Sliema. He owns a beloved stationery shop and is deeply dedicated to it. But in this novel, we get a deeper look at who he really is beneath the surface.
It’s 2017, and on a quiet Sunday morning, Toni suffers his first stroke. From that moment on, his life begins to shift in unexpected ways. Although love had never treated him kindly, everything changes when he wakes up in the hospital and meets Lucia—a Dutch patient who happens to be his age.
Set against a backdrop of recent political turbulence in Malta, the story blends themes of transformation, love, and change. It also revisits Toni’s past relationships, including his brief marriage to Greta, weaving them into a thoughtful narrative about how the past shapes the present.
Sunset Exiles explores the everyday struggles and events that shape our lives—both the big moments and the small, each leaving its mark in different ways.
The story centers around Toni, who was born and raised in Sliema. He owns a beloved stationery shop and is deeply dedicated to it. But in this novel, we get a deeper look at who he really is beneath the surface.
It’s 2017, and on a quiet Sunday morning, Toni suffers his first stroke. From that moment on, his life begins to shift in unexpected ways. Although love had never treated him kindly, everything changes when he wakes up in the hospital and meets Lucia—a Dutch patient who happens to be his age.
Set against a backdrop of recent political turbulence in Malta, the story blends themes of transformation, love, and change. It also revisits Toni’s past relationships, including his brief marriage to Greta, weaving them into a thoughtful narrative about how the past shapes the present.
June 26, 2025
This is a tale of an older Maltese man's romantic history and current romance, loosely interwoven with the events of the Maltese government's ethics crisis of a few years ago.
We bought this book in Malta while vacationing there, and the author is quite skilled at reproducing Sliema and Valletta for the reader who has not visited.
The characters are well written, and the Maltese author's (Camilleri's) style is easy to read, but the narrative is a little flat.
We bought this book in Malta while vacationing there, and the author is quite skilled at reproducing Sliema and Valletta for the reader who has not visited.
The characters are well written, and the Maltese author's (Camilleri's) style is easy to read, but the narrative is a little flat.
April 9, 2025
A novel which made me 'feel'. I will certainly go back to this book from time to time.
December 7, 2025
Easy and smooth read, one that makes you reflect on the topic of love. Love in friendships, families, past loves, loves that got away, and love that embraces us.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews