Exodai

A Shockingly Honest Memoir of Love, Obsession and Torture

Non-Fiction - Memoir
341 Pages
Reviewed on 12/20/2023
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Author Biography

5 x Award-winning EXODAI is the first memoir ELIZABETH HENDRICK has published. She was compelled to write about her struggles with her sexuality and narrate the story of how she learnt to love herself, placing particular emphasis on her S&M relationship with a Japanese dominatrix. Elizabeth believes her story will be of value not just to LGBTQ+ and BDSM communities, but to all individuals who have been ostracised during their adolescence and whose lack of self-love is sabotaging their adult lives. It’s also an intriguing peek behind the curtain of Tokyo’s exotic and sometimes shocking BDSM underworld.

HENDRICK was born and raised in East Anglia. She graduated in mathematics from Durham University in 1994 and began a career in financial services in London. In 2004, she left finance to enter the risky world of entrepreneurial start-ups. During her first project to launch a film magazine, she developed the practice of keeping a diary of events. It was her cathartic response to dealing with the stress of heading up an underfunded start-up. Since then, she has kept records and written memoirs covering all her remarkable life experiences, She has lived and worked in London, Paris, Tokyo, and Dubai. She currently lives in Tokyo.

EXODAI AWARDS:
WINNER in the 2024 NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS (Sexuality)
FINALIST in the 2024 NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS (LGBTQIA Non-Fiction)
FINALIST in the 2024 INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS (LGBTQ+ Non-Fiction) FINALIST in the 2024 READERS’ FAVORITE BOOK AWARDS (Non-Fiction LGBTQ+)
FINALIST in the 2024 NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS (Best Cover)

    Book Review

Reviewed by Amy Raines for Readers' Favorite

Exodai, a memoir by Elizabeth Hendrick, shows how everyone goes through a period of self-discovery, and Elizabeth is no different. Her attraction to other females was evident at a young age. Her daydreams about rescuing the damsel-in-distress turned to fantasies of bondage and torture after seeing a picture in a textbook at school. Her fantasies became a reality when she found pleasure in being dominated. The glee and the laughter in the voice of the woman inflicting the pain on her gave Elizabeth a sense of excitement and love. She also discovered that in some S&M relationships, her needs were not being met because she was doing all the work and not receiving the punishment she craved in return.

Exodai is an unusual kind of memoir that highlights the lifestyle of a different kind of relationship. I enjoyed the way Elizabeth Hendrick chose to explore her own wants and needs in such a bold and deliberate way. This will help readers realize that everyone has different needs in a relationship and that it’s okay to voice these needs and have them met. I also found it courageous of Hendrick to open up and write this book so that others can see that not everything in a relationship has to be based on physical intimacy. This will encourage readers to strive for better communication and understanding, regardless of the desires in the relationship. I recommend Exodai to readers who are interested in exploring their own identity and learning the importance of having a meaningful relationship.