Outlawed by Anna North

Author: Anna North

Title: Outlawed

Genre: Western 

Publication Date: January 5, 2021

Number of Pages: 261

Geographical Setting: Southwest America - Alternate version of the Old West

Time Period: 1893 - 1895

Plot Summary: 

Set in a time where a lot of the population of the US has been wiped out by a flu, this Old West world is focused on procreation. Mothers of many are praised while barren women are accused of being witches. Outlawed is a story of how women have to fight to survive in this alternate version of the Old West. 

Seventeen-year-old Ada is living the life expected of her. She is newly married, learning to be a midwife from her mother, and is happily trying to start her family. After a year of marriage and still no pregnancy, the people in Ada’s town start to turn against her. Once the witch accusations from the townspeople are thrown her way, Ada and her mother realize the only way for Ada to survive is to run. 

Out on her own, Ada eventually finds herself paired up with the infamous Hole in the Wall Gang, trying her best to fit in as an outlaw. This band of outlaws is led by The Kid who is fighting to create a safe place where women like themselves have somewhere to go when they are rejected and cast out. Ada’s time with the Hole in the Wall Gang consists of robberies, murders, and prison escapes as they do what they must to make this dream happen. Ada must decide if all the risks that come with their plans are worth the chance at this safe haven and a new future. 

Subject Headings:

Outlaws -- Fiction.

Outcasts -- Fiction.

Midwives -- Fiction.

Infertility -- Fiction.

Pregnancy -- Social aspects -- Fiction.

Influenza -- Fiction.

Epidemics -- Fiction.

Appeal:

Setting: North sets her story in the popular backdrop of the Wild West, but with a feminist twist. This terrain is rough and dangerous to this group of outlaws who have to fight both the weather and the people opposing them to survive. Those who enjoy stories set in the Wild West and stories about outlaws will enjoy this book. 

Characters: Many readers will easily be able to relate to this cast of characters. The Hole in the Wall Gang is made up of outlaws who have been cast out by society because they do not fit the perfectly womanly mold that they are expected to fill. Readers learn about how these characters were forced to go out on their own to survive and how they find a new family with the Hole in the Wall Gang that finally accepts them. 

Story Line: Throughout this story, the Hole in the Wall Gang is fighting for both the freedom of those in their group of outcasts and the freedom for all those who have been rejected or killed for who they are. The gang dreams of a place where they can all be safe to live their lives and they are not afraid to fight, steal, and lie in order to make this dream a reality. Living in the Wild West provides a specific set of problems for these characters to overcome, such as the weather conditions and the prejudices of this time period. Readers who are looking for a lot of action in their stories will enjoy this novel. 

3 terms that best describe this book:

Adventurous

Feminist 

Hopeful

Similar Authors and Works:

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

Frontier Grit: The Unlikely True Stories of Daring Pioneer Women by Marianne Monson

This book covers the stories of 12 women that decided to settle in the west. One woman held a homestead against looters, squatters, and racists. Another became a doctor. This book will appeal to any reader who is eager to learn more about the women of the Wild West. 

Wildcat: The Untold Story of Pearl Hart, the Wild West's Most Notorious Woman Bandit by John Boessenecker

If readers enjoyed hearing about the women’s escapades in Outlawed, this book may appeal to them. Pearl Hart disguised herself as a man and robbed a stagecoach at gunpoint to become the most notorious outlaw of her time. This story is similar to the mischief that the Hole in the Wall Gang finds themselves getting into. 

Annie Oakley by Shirl Kasper

This book tells the story of the most famous woman from the Wild West. If women in the Wild West setting appealed to you, you may enjoy hearing about the life of Annie Oakley. 

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors

Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens

Both of these Western novels feature women who are challenging gender expectations. Along with this, both main characters rely on a gang of outlaws in order to fight for the change they want to see in their lives. Readers who enjoyed the fast-paced, suspenseful story of Outlawed may enjoy these characteristics of Lucky Red. 

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

In Upright Women Wanted, Ester escapes an arranged marriage by stowing herself away on the Librarian’s book wagon. The last thing she expects to find is a wagon full of “bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies.” Just like Outlawed, Upright Women is a queer feminist Western about a motley crew who are rejecting what their society says they should be. 

Heresy by Melissa Lenhardt

Just like Outlawed, Heresy is about a group of women who are forced to be outlaws to survive. Both novels are fast paced Westerns with strong female characters that are sure to hold your attention.