Book Review: Outlawed
The year was 1894 when Ada, a young wife on the lamb, become an outlaw.
It wasn’t always her destiny, to outpace Johnny Law and take up a life of thievery. She’d had dreams of becoming a master midwife like her mama, who could not only help bring new lives into the world but also ail the sick with her vast knowledge of tonics and tinctures. But a year into her marriage at 17, Ada discovered, with great fear and disappointment, that she was barren. And in a small town like hers where barren women are routinely accused of witchcraft - a hangable offense - being barren is the last thing a young woman wants to be. So, Ada decided to run - away from the close-minded town where she had lived all her life, and through the doors of a convent. Once there, she made plans to take her vows and live out the rest of her days with the Sisters of the Holy Child, many of which, shared the same childless predicament as Ada. But as time passed, Ada found herself feeling restless in the safe but suffocating walls of the convent. Was it really her fate to escape one situation where too much was expected of her, only to be pushed into another? Or, was there more that life could offer?
Deep in the throes of a full-on existential crisis, Ada once again fled, armed with the name of another group that might take her in: the Hole in the Wall Gang, a collective of notorious robbers and highwaymen led by an infamous figure known only as The Kid. And though the Hole in the Wall Gang was every bit as tough and intimidating as the rumors suggested, one crucial thing set them apart from all the rest: this ragtag team of criminals was all-female, and had plans to upend the male-driven society that cast them out in the first place.
Ada’s acceptance into the group was slow-going at first, and, thanks to some major life-threatening mishaps, nearly nonexistent. But when The Kid, charismatic and fearless, hatched an outrageous plan to put the Gang on top for good, Ada and the other women resolved to band together to make it happen. That is, if it didn’t first get them all killed.
Outlawed by Anna North, widely described as a Western for people who don’t read Westerns, is the female-forward, often bittersweet tale of the power of chosen family, self-empowerment, and how bold choices - both good and bad - have lasting effects that shape the people we become, long after the dust has settled.
The Good: Right off the bat, I loved the concept for this novel. I fall firmly in the category as someone who’s never been a fan of Westerns, but the plot was so original and so outside of the box, I knew I had to read it. I also quite enjoyed North’s writing style. For as heavy as the book could’ve been, North managed to create prose that flowed quickly and felt all at once like a light read and something much meatier - and that’s no easy feat!
The Bad: While I adored this book from start to finish, what I would have loved to see much more of were scenes with the gang members both all together, and separately. When big decisions were being made, why were some of the women easy to predict, while others were wildcards? What really brought this gang together, and how had they managed to make it work for so long? By the end of the book, I felt like I really only understood a few of the many characters. Also, while I understand that romance isn’t supposed to be a major part of Ada’s overall journey to self-discovery and actualization, I would have loved to see more of it. But that’s just the natural rom-com lover in me talking.
Bottom Line: This was a fast read that pulled me into the story immediately, and had me wishing, as many books do, that it was at least 100 pages longer. There was just so much potential there to see other adventures play out before the grand finale. Outlawed is one of those books that may not stay with you forever, but it does force you to be in the moment when you’re reading it. It’s also perfect for people like me who tend to avoid content that’s too cringe-y or anxiety-inducing. The built-up suspense is too great - you’ll find yourself speeding ahead just to see what happens next. This was my first finished book of 2021, and I couldn’t have asked for a better book to start off the new year!
Buy Outlawed by Anna North HERE!