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Outlawed Hardcover – January 5, 2021
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INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK
A BELLETRIST BOOK CLUB PICK
AMAZON BEST OF THE YEAR
"A masterpiece." - R.O. Kwon
The Crucible meets True Grit in this riveting adventure story of a fugitive girl, a mysterious gang of robbers, and their dangerous mission to transform the Wild West.
In the year of our Lord 1894, I became an outlaw.
The day of her wedding, 17 year old Ada’s life looks good; she loves her husband, and she loves working as an apprentice to her mother, a respected midwife. But after a year of marriage and no pregnancy, in a town where barren women are routinely hanged as witches, her survival depends on leaving behind everything she knows.
She joins up with the notorious Hole in the Wall Gang, a band of outlaws led by a preacher-turned-robber known to all as the Kid. Charismatic, grandiose, and mercurial, the Kid is determined to create a safe haven for outcast women. But to make this dream a reality, the Gang hatches a treacherous plan that may get them all killed. And Ada must decide whether she’s willing to risk her life for the possibility of a new kind of future for them all.
Featuring an irresistibly no-nonsense, courageous, and determined heroine, Outlawed dusts off the myth of the old West and reignites the glimmering promise of the frontier with an entirely new set of feminist stakes. Anna North has crafted a pulse-racing, page-turning saga about the search for hope in the wake of death, and for truth in a climate of small-mindedness and fear.
- Print length272 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
- Publication dateJanuary 5, 2021
- Dimensions6.39 x 1.03 x 9.58 inches
- ISBN-101635575427
- ISBN-13978-1635575422
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What's it about?
A fugitive girl, a gang of robbers, and their dangerous mission to transform the Wild West.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Outlawed stirs up the western with a provocative blend of alt-history and feminist consciousness. The result is a thrilling tale eerily familiar but utterly transformed . . . In North’s galloping prose, it’s a fantastically cinematic adventure that turns the sexual politics of the Old West inside out." - Ron Charles, Washington Post, Best of the Year
"Anna North presents a far different perspective on the [Western] genre, one forged by women, Black and nonbinary people looking for the freedom, space and right to exist in a world that largely doesn’t want them . . . The vividness with which she writes this world is one that’s captivating and hard to put down." - USA Today “Best New Books”
"Fans of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale are in for a stellar ride where gender roles, sexuality, agency, and self-discovery come together, making North’s story as experimental and novel as it is classic." - Boston Globe
"The heroes of the traditional Western were always sure about what made them the way they were; what made a man a man. For Ada and the other ‘outlaws’ of this spirited novel, the frontiers of gender and sexuality beckon to be explored." - Maureen Corrigan, NPR
"Virtuosic." - The New Yorker
"A thoroughly gripping, genre-subverting and -defining marvel of a novel." - Refinery29 “Most Anticipated Books of 2021”
"From the author of the Lambda Literary Award-winning The Life and Death of Sophie Stark comes an alt-history feminist western . . . Think Foxfire by way of Maddie from True Grit, yet North's swashbuckling saga is wholly her own." - O, the Oprah Magazine (Best LGBTQ Books of 2021)
"North’s knockout latest chronicles the travails of a midwife’s daughter who joins a group of female and nonbinary outlaws near the end of the 19th century . . . The characters’ struggles for gender nonconformity and LGBTQ rights are tenderly and beautifully conveyed. This feminist western parable is impossible to put down." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"2021 is already a year that could use a little joy. Here to provide some is the scrappy new feminist Western novel Outlawed . . . It’s an absolute romp and contains basically everything I want in a book: witchy nuns, heists, a marriage of convenience, and a midwife trying to build a bomb out of horse dung." - Vox
"There is something both thrilling and intimidating about the first book of the year to receive rave reviews, and we didn't have to wait long for it in 2021. Published during the first week of the New Year, Anna North's Outlawed sets a high bar for the 12 months of publishing still to come . . . It upends the tropes of the traditionally macho and heteronormative genre while also being a rip-snortin' good read, too." - The Week (Most Anticipated Books of the Year)
"A western unlike any other, Outlawed features queer cowgirls, gender nonconforming robbers and a band of feminists that fight against the grain for autonomy, agency and the power to define their own worth." - Ms.
"Earns its place in the growing canon of fiction that subverts the Western genre by giving voice to the true complexity of gender and sexual expression, as well as race relations, that has previously been pushed to the margins of traditional cowboy or westward expansion tales. A genre- (and gender-) bending take on the classic Western." - Kirkus
"A lovely slow draw in the world of the Old West, a story about the people who don’t belong, portraying a realistic, close-minded world that only accepts women willing to fit into a specific mold . . . It’s exciting to read a Western tale that features such a range of women and queer characters, and Ada herself is a bold protagonist whose desire to learn more about the female reproductive system and how it actually functions runs fiercely in her veins. Perfect for fans of Sarah Gailey's Upright Women Wanted." - Booklist
"This book has me, and you should have this book." - Glamour (Best of the Month)
"A gender-bending, genre-hopping yarn that’s part frontier novel, part Handmaid’s Tale and all ripsnorting fun . . . North easily subverts expectations as her characters struggle to find their identities in a patriarchal world." - Bookpage
"Anna North has written a captivating Western unlike any other, with unique rhythms, dusty lands, and characters like new friends brought in on high winds. A grand, unforgettable tale." - Esmé Weijun Wang, author of THE COLLECTED SCHIZOPHRENIAS
"I'm dazzled by this feminist Western about a world in which women's worth and right to live are determined by the vagaries of fertility. Set in an alternate past, one all too similar to our today, Outlawed is terrifying, wise, tender, and thrilling. A masterpiece." - R.O. Kwon, author of THE INCENDIARIES
"Outlawed flips the script on the beloved Western genre and gives us the iconic heroine-on-the-run we deserve. Anna North is a riveting storyteller . . . Reader, you are in for a real treat." - Jenny Zhang, author of SOUR HEART
"A moving and invigorating complication of the Western, highlighting chosen family, love, and survival among outcasts in another American timeline. As she mines the genre for vital new stories, North beautifully shines a light on our real past and conveys a warning for the future." - Lydia Kiesling, author of THE GOLDEN STATE
"Fans of Margaret Atwood and Cormac McCarthy finally get the Western they deserve in Outlawed, but Anna North doesn't just reimagine a damsel-in-distress as her own savior. She plays with the promise and danger of the frontier, introducing us to an America we never knew―and one we know all too well." - Alexis Coe, New York Times bestselling author of YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST and ALICE+FREDA FOREVER
"This ain't your grandpa's Western. Yes, there's gun slinging, hosses, banks to rob, and a no-good Sheriff. But then no, this novel is as if The Handmaiden's Tale had a baby with the real Butch Cassidy... It's rough, and soft. Profanely sweet with wide-eyed openness, and an exciting culmination that ricochets off the bulk of the tale…Start Outlawed and just try to put it down." - Sidney Herald
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing; First Edition (January 5, 2021)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 272 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1635575427
- ISBN-13 : 978-1635575422
- Item Weight : 1.15 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.39 x 1.03 x 9.58 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #231,779 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #811 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books)
- #4,131 in Westerns (Books)
- #13,227 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
I'm a journalist and a novelist. My journalistic work currently focuses on reproductive health and the politics thereof. I'm the author of three novels, Outlawed (forthcoming in 2021), America Pacifica and The Life and Death of Sophie Stark. I'm also a senior reporter at Vox. Previously, I was a writer and editor at the New York Times, Salon, BuzzFeed and Jezebel. I graduated from the Iowa Writers' Workshop in 2009. I grew up in Los Angeles and now I live in Brooklyn.
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The opening line, “In the year of our Lord 1894, I became an outlaw,” grabbed my attention immediately. Ada is 17 and married to her sweetheart, everything is as it should be, the only problem is she cannot conceive a child. Now, normally that doesn’t sound like an issue, but in the year 1894, it’s the end of a young girl’s world. When Ada fails to conceive with her husband she is forced to flee her community as to not be hanged for witchcraft. Ada makes her way to a convent where she tries to fit in and live a quiet life, but the question of why women are barren nags at her. She finds a book in the library of the convent written by a midwife discussing childbirth, surgeries, and other medical maladies. This sparks Ada’s interest because before she was forced to flee her home she was training with her mother as a midwife. Growing antsy at the convent she decides to set out to find the Hole in the Wall Gang to see if she can gain their trust and help. What she finds is The Kid and a merry bunch of other barren female cowboys. Their thieving ways help them stay safe in their small community of outcasts. Ada and the group face some troubles along the way, but in the end, they are all just happy to be together.
I was entertained throughout this entire book. I enjoyed the storyline and thought it was a fun take on western fiction. Although some of the chapters were quite long, I still enjoyed the flow of the story. There was not as much character development on the secondary characters as I would have liked, but it sufficed for the length of the book. This story was action-packed, full of fun adventures, and an all-around good read. As another reviewer said having tones of True Grit, Feminism, and LGBTQ writing it will be a favorite of many.
Perhaps you could write a sequel, and explore the possibility of knowledge changing the thinking of the twisted minds, and Women receiving the help that they needed, without having to become outlaws
She soon joins the Hole in the Wall gang, a notorious outlaw gang known throughout the towns as skilled robbers with no fear. The Kid, the charismatic & oftentimes grandiose leader of the gang, wants to create a safe haven for women like Ada & the rest of the gang, outcast from their previous lives simply for being barren. In order to get what they need for this ‘paradise’ The Kid hatches a plan that may get the entire gang killed. Ada must decide if she’s up to risking it all to not only get to the future life she wanted, but to help all those women who are just like her find safety & peace.
Review: I am a sucker for a good Wild West themed movie; I mean I named my son Wyatt (you know, like Wyatt Earp) so when I saw Outlawed, I was ready! I have to say I wasn’t disappointed. This book utilized the cowboy outlaw theme well with a feminist twist that was welcomed. Famous outlaws from long ago were given new life, putting women in the main roles of these legendary figures. This allowed the plight of women from the late 1800’s to be highlighted, specifically the inability to conceive a child. From accusations of witchcraft to being jailed and/or banished from their homes, life for women at this time was quite precarious. But, Anna North was able to create a strong group fo women, including main protagonist Ada, who wanted better not only for themselves, but all those who found themselves in the same situation.
I appreciated the heart North put into Ada, The Kid, News, Agnes Rose & the rest of the Hole in the Wall gang. Each woman had their own story, their own amount of strength & perseverance you could just feel leaping off the page. Tough topics such as race, identity, sexuality & self-worth were highlighted with realism of that time period. While it’s hard to read in certain parts of the book, they were realistic issues women of that time faced; it’s heartbreaking for sure. I would recommend this book if you enjoy a strong female protagonist. You have to really enjoy the Wild West theme/cowboy outlaws to really appreciate this read.
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2021
She soon joins the Hole in the Wall gang, a notorious outlaw gang known throughout the towns as skilled robbers with no fear. The Kid, the charismatic & oftentimes grandiose leader of the gang, wants to create a safe haven for women like Ada & the rest of the gang, outcast from their previous lives simply for being barren. In order to get what they need for this ‘paradise’ The Kid hatches a plan that may get the entire gang killed. Ada must decide if she’s up to risking it all to not only get to the future life she wanted, but to help all those women who are just like her find safety & peace.
Review: I am a sucker for a good Wild West themed movie; I mean I named my son Wyatt (you know, like Wyatt Earp) so when I saw Outlawed, I was ready! I have to say I wasn’t disappointed. This book utilized the cowboy outlaw theme well with a feminist twist that was welcomed. Famous outlaws from long ago were given new life, putting women in the main roles of these legendary figures. This allowed the plight of women from the late 1800’s to be highlighted, specifically the inability to conceive a child. From accusations of witchcraft to being jailed and/or banished from their homes, life for women at this time was quite precarious. But, Anna North was able to create a strong group fo women, including main protagonist Ada, who wanted better not only for themselves, but all those who found themselves in the same situation.
I appreciated the heart North put into Ada, The Kid, News, Agnes Rose & the rest of the Hole in the Wall gang. Each woman had their own story, their own amount of strength & perseverance you could just feel leaping off the page. Tough topics such as race, identity, sexuality & self-worth were highlighted with realism of that time period. While it’s hard to read in certain parts of the book, they were realistic issues women of that time faced; it’s heartbreaking for sure. I would recommend this book if you enjoy a strong female protagonist. You have to really enjoy the Wild West theme/cowboy outlaws to really appreciate this read.