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2 Beaverton Literature- A to Z

The Outlander (P.S.)

by Gil Adamson

The Outlander (P.S.) Cover

 

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Staff Pick

The Outlander by Gil Adamson is a wondrous vacation for your mind. With its eccentric characters and luminous prose, this novel is a romping escapade of big fun.
Recommended by Adrienne, Powells.com

The Outlander is a rare novel. Its beautifully breathless language seduces your attention to the smallest detail. From the first sentence you find yourself running, running with a woman you've just met, for reasons unclear, from pursuers unknown. Yet you don't stop running, nor does she. She runs, in fear and confusion, across fields and up mountainsides, in her mind and through her dubious memory. The frenetic pace carries you through the story and uncovers a world of survival and isolation, brutality, freedom, and love, and introduces you to an extraordinary cast of reprobates, rugged outsiders, and a pair of unusually large, red-headed twins. So incredible is Adamson's description of this journey, I believe The Outlander will be my number one pick for years to come.
Recommended by Ann E., Powells.com

Synopses & Reviews

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Publisher Comments:

In 1903 a mysterious young woman flees alone across the West, one heart-pounding step ahead of the law. At nineteen, Mary Boulton has just become a widow — and her husband's killer. As bloodhounds track her frantic race toward the mountains, she is tormented by mad visions and by the knowledge that her two ruthless brothers-in-law are in pursuit, determined to avenge their younger brother's death. Responding to little more than the primitive fight for life, the widow retreats ever deeper into the wilderness — and into the wilds of her own mind — encountering an unforgettable cast of eccentrics along the way.

With the stunning prose and captivating mood of great works like Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain or early Cormac McCarthy, Gil Adamson's intoxicating debut novel weds a brilliant literary style to the gripping tale of one woman's desperate escape.

Review:

"A remarkable first novel, full of verve, beautifully written, and with all the panache of a great adventure." Ann Patchett

Review:

"Adamson's debut work is simply enough, a superb novel....The frayed material of the North American west is rendered in an astoundingly fresh light....[A] condition only occasioned by first rate fiction" Jim Harrison

Review:

"The Outlander deserves to be read twice, first for the plot and the complex characters, which make this a page-turner of the highest order, and then a second time, slowly, to savor the marvel of Gil Adamson's writing. This novel is a true wonder." Ann Patchett

Review:

"Enriched by vivid language that reflects Adamson's background as a poet, Outlander is a riveting tale of a woman's thirst for freedom. (Grade: A-)" Entertainment Weekly

Review:

"A lovingly crafted novel." Kirkus Reviews

Review:

"Authentic historical details, a strong female character running for her life, and a murder-driven plot will appeal to fiction readers....Highly recommended." Library Journal

Review:

"A remarkable first novel, full of verve, beautifully written, and with all the panache of a great adventure." Michael Ondaatje

Review:

"The slow unfolding of story and character coupled with lyrical descriptions of the terrain, an occasional touch of bizarre humor, and a multitude of well-chosen historical details will appeal to readers of literary writing as well as historical-fiction fans." Booklist

Review:

"This remarkable novel opens at full gallop and never slows. Adamson has seamlessly merged a compelling narrative with poetic language to create a work that is full of beauty and heart and wonder." Ron Rash, author of Saints at the River and Serena

Synopsis:

In 1903 Mary Boulton flees alone across the West, one heart-pounding step ahead of the law. At nineteen, she has just become a widow — and her husband's killer. As bloodhounds track her frantic race toward the mountains, she is tormented by mad visions and by the knowledge that her two ruthless brothers-in-law are in pursuit, determined to avenge their younger brother's death. Responding to little more than the primitive instinct for survival at any cost, she retreats ever deeper into the wilderness — and into the wilds of her own mind.

About the Author

Gil Adamson's acclaimed short fiction and poetry have been widely published in magazines and literary journals. Her two poetry books (Primitive, 1991; and Ashland, 2003) and her collection of stories, Help Me, Jacques Cousteau (1995), received rave reviews. The Outlander is Adamson's first novel.

What Our Readers Are Saying

Add a comment for a chance to win!
Average customer rating based on 9 comments:

Freda, January 23, 2011 (view all comments by Freda)
This is the book I recommended most to friends this year. I loved how the story, past and present, unfolded and practically speed-read the book to see what happened.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
BWH, January 1, 2011 (view all comments by BWH)
Quietly engaging; writing is haunting. Love, love, loved it.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
Kharyn, January 1, 2011 (view all comments by Kharyn)
From the beginning I was captivated by this tale of a smart, brave woman escaping a life of dominance. The feeling of fear was so convincingly written that I found myself literaly shaking. I have passed this book on to friends who had the same experience of terror and jubilation that I felt.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
View all 9 comments

Product Details

ISBN:
9780061491344
Author:
Adamson, Gil
Publisher:
Harper Perennial
Subject:
General
Subject:
Widows
Subject:
Adventure fiction
Subject:
General Fiction
Subject:
Literature-A to Z
Copyright:
Edition Description:
Trade PB
Series:
P.S.
Publication Date:
20090631
Binding:
TRADE PAPER
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
416
Dimensions:
7.92x5.46x.97 in. .67 lbs.

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Related Subjects

Featured Titles » General
Featured Titles » Literature
Featured Titles » Third Book's a Charm
Fiction and Poetry » Literature » A to Z
Languages » Foreign Languages » Spanish » Fiction and Poetry » Literature » A to Z

The Outlander (P.S.) Used Trade Paper
0 stars - 0 reviews
$7.95 In Stock
Product details 416 pages Harper Perennial - English 9780061491344 Reviews:
"Staff Pick" by ,

The Outlander by Gil Adamson is a wondrous vacation for your mind. With its eccentric characters and luminous prose, this novel is a romping escapade of big fun.

"Staff Pick" by ,

The Outlander is a rare novel. Its beautifully breathless language seduces your attention to the smallest detail. From the first sentence you find yourself running, running with a woman you've just met, for reasons unclear, from pursuers unknown. Yet you don't stop running, nor does she. She runs, in fear and confusion, across fields and up mountainsides, in her mind and through her dubious memory. The frenetic pace carries you through the story and uncovers a world of survival and isolation, brutality, freedom, and love, and introduces you to an extraordinary cast of reprobates, rugged outsiders, and a pair of unusually large, red-headed twins. So incredible is Adamson's description of this journey, I believe The Outlander will be my number one pick for years to come.

"Review" by , "A remarkable first novel, full of verve, beautifully written, and with all the panache of a great adventure."
"Review" by , "Adamson's debut work is simply enough, a superb novel....The frayed material of the North American west is rendered in an astoundingly fresh light....[A] condition only occasioned by first rate fiction"
"Review" by , "The Outlander deserves to be read twice, first for the plot and the complex characters, which make this a page-turner of the highest order, and then a second time, slowly, to savor the marvel of Gil Adamson's writing. This novel is a true wonder."
"Review" by , "Enriched by vivid language that reflects Adamson's background as a poet, Outlander is a riveting tale of a woman's thirst for freedom. (Grade: A-)"
"Review" by , "A lovingly crafted novel."
"Review" by , "Authentic historical details, a strong female character running for her life, and a murder-driven plot will appeal to fiction readers....Highly recommended."
"Review" by , "A remarkable first novel, full of verve, beautifully written, and with all the panache of a great adventure."
"Review" by , "The slow unfolding of story and character coupled with lyrical descriptions of the terrain, an occasional touch of bizarre humor, and a multitude of well-chosen historical details will appeal to readers of literary writing as well as historical-fiction fans."
"Review" by , "This remarkable novel opens at full gallop and never slows. Adamson has seamlessly merged a compelling narrative with poetic language to create a work that is full of beauty and heart and wonder."
"Synopsis" by , In 1903 Mary Boulton flees alone across the West, one heart-pounding step ahead of the law. At nineteen, she has just become a widow — and her husband's killer. As bloodhounds track her frantic race toward the mountains, she is tormented by mad visions and by the knowledge that her two ruthless brothers-in-law are in pursuit, determined to avenge their younger brother's death. Responding to little more than the primitive instinct for survival at any cost, she retreats ever deeper into the wilderness — and into the wilds of her own mind.
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