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The Outlander (Paperback)

by Gil Adamson (Author)

4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Paperback
Publisher: Anansi (Feb 14 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0887847927
ISBN-13: 978-0887847929

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

Amazon.ca Sales Rank: #71,632 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Set in 1903, Adamson's compelling debut tells the wintry tale of 19-year-old Mary Boulton ([w]idowed by her own hand) and her frantic odyssey across Idaho and Montana. The details of Boulton's sad past—an unhappy marriage, a dead child, crippling depression—slowly emerge as she reluctantly ventures into the mountains, struggling to put distance between herself and her two vicious brothers-in-law, who track her like prey in retaliation for her killing of their kin. Boulton's journey and ultimate liberation—made all the more captivating by the delirium that runs in the recesses of her mind—speaks to the resilience of the female spirit in the early part of the last century. Lean prose, full-bodied characterization, memorable settings and scenes of hardship all lift this book above the pack. Already established as a writer of poetry (Ashland) and short stories (Help Me, Jacques Cousteau), Adamson also shines as novelist. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

January Magazine

“For readers who want a cracking good story with unforgettable characters engaged in tension-filled activities, and told with a superlative richness of language and a lushness of imagery, Gil Adamson’s novel, The Outlander, is it. Her widow, Mary Boulton, and “Bonny”, her Reverend, are the ideal stuff and stuffings of legends.”

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)

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Most helpful customer reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars `Abundance lay about her but she starved', Jun 26 2008

By	J. Cameron-Smith "Expect the Unexpected" (ACT, Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

In 1903, a newly widowed young woman of 19 is escaping the consequences of both the murder of her husband and the events surrounding it. Her brothers-in-law are intent on catching her to make her face justice. This sets the scene for a brutal journey through the cold western wilderness of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada. The widow (as she is generally referred to throughout the novel) carries with her the demons of her past and some of her recollections are not entirely reliable. The widow knows that there is no safe place for her within the confines of what passes for civilisation and so she flees across the Rocky Mountains.

There are a number of different themes in this novel and the setting itself is important. The environment is both beautiful and harsh. In order to survive, the widow needs to appreciate both and to adapt. Along her journey she meets some interesting characters, most of them outlanders in their own way, and learns how to survive. Can she find an enduring happiness?

At times the widow's mind is a confused and confusing space. It isn't always clear where reality begins and ends but this is integral to the story itself. This may not be an easy novel to read, but it is beautifully written and well worth the journey. I found myself reading slowly in order to appreciate the journey while simultaneously wanting to rush ahead to find out the ultimate destination.

This is Ms Adamson's first novel, and I'll certainly be looking to read more of her work.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A hauntingly beautiful novel, April 28 2008

By	Canuck Baritone (Toronto, ON Canada) - See all my reviews

Ce commentaire est de: The Outlander (Hardcover)

I read this book last fall, when it came out in Canada, and I was ABSOLUTELY mesmerised by it. Adamson can write, there is no question! Not since Anne Michael's book, "Fugitive Pieces", have I been so completely enthralled by an author's use of the English language. Adamson has, until now, been a poet and that is evident in every sentence she writes. And yet, the book does not get bogged down in flowery description. Instead, one is drawn into a beautifully crafted world; a world populated with interesting, FEELING characters - characters which are fully formed and which deserve our interest.

There are a couple of moments in the novel that I particularly loved. The first is the moment when Mary dreams of her father fishing. At one moment, Adamson writes: "The sun was sharp on the corded water, dancing like pennies on a blanket." Simply beautiful.

The second, and possibly most powerful moment in the novel, occurs in Chapter 19 when Mary recalls the moment of her mother's death and her father's response to it. She writes: "Her father, too, was sleepless in those days. And staggering. Rum was his drink, and so a sweet reek followed him about the house, burnt toffee cut with piss, and his breath was rank. He would go whole days without responding to anyone; he would not even meet his daughter's eye, but stared dully ahead, too deep in the smoking ruin of his hear to see the world." The passage goes on and through it we see a husband and father torn apart and destroyed by grief. A grief which leaves a lasting effect on the daughter.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. If you read only one book this season, make it "The Outlander."

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hauntingly beautiful novel, Nov 24 2008

By	Jamie Kelley "jamiek8" (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Like the previous reviewers, I was whipped sawed between rushing ahead to see how the story progressed and throttling back to a more languid pace in order to bathe in the beauty of Adamson's prose.

Astonishingly well written and crafted.

The widow and her coterie of associates will linger in my memory for quite some time.

Highest recommendation.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars great book!
Caught my interest right from the start. I like that the writer was willing to enter the toment within the woman's head; not making it fun or pretty, but real. Lisez davantage

Published 7 days ago by Kathryn Eagleheart

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it
Really enjoyed reading The Outlander - the characters, the setting... thank you CanadaReads 2009 for introducing me to this!

Published 6 months ago by Susanna

5.0 out of 5 stars The Outlander
I read this on the beach in the Mayan Riviera. It made me forget where I was. Few books have that power over me. Lisez davantage

Published 9 months ago by Cate

3.0 out of 5 stars Clever premise that almost delivers
The main character of Gil Adamson's novel is the widow - a woman carving out a marginalized existence in the wilderness who always seems to stay one step ahead of her pursuers -... Lisez davantage

Published 9 months ago by Amy MacDougall