Debut Novel: The Outlander
Gil Adamson Leaves Her Readers Breathless
Hang on to your hat as the widow Mary Boulton runs across the pages of acclaimed short fiction and poetry writer Gil Adamson's debut novel The Outlander.
When a novel opens with, "It was night, and the dogs came through the trees, unleashed and howling," the reader expects to be lead on an exciting chase of suspense, fear and danger. Gil Adamson does not disappoint her readers. The excitement never subsides in her debut novel The Outlander. At heart pounding speed Adamson has her readers trying to keep up to the widow Mary Boulton. Just as the readers might think they are catching their breath Mary darts off leading all who pursue her through the wilderness of the Alberta Foothills and Rocky Mountains. Adamson has both her readers and Mary running for their lives.
Widowed & Post Partum
Mary Boulton is nineteen years old, her first baby died shortly after birth, and she is newly widowed. Naturally readers will want to feel sorry for her. Mary Boulton has just murdered her husband. Should the reader feel sorry for her? Could Mary have escaped her unhappy marriage some other way? What were a woman’s options in the early 1900’s? What will the giant twin men do to Mary when they catch her? Adamson never lets her readers rest long enough to think of the answers, she only leads them further into the wilderness of questions.
Escapee or Prey?
As Mary runs through the wilderness it is hard to tell if she is a scared rabbit or a stealthy fox. Are the odd twin men pursuing her hunters wanting to make a kill or lawmen seeking justice? Neither Mary nor her pursuers have strong wilderness survival skills. Her pursuers seem to have the most advantages: they are armed; have the funds available to hire a skilled woodsman and tracker; and the law is on their side. Mary’s advantages are she has a way with strangers and she is a quick learner. Are these advantages enough for Mary to successfully escape her hunters? The book never slows down enough for readers to ponder many of these questions. The readers are kept too busy trying to keep up with Mary on her flight to survival.
Why Outlander?
Only after reading the last breathtaking page of this exciting and exceptionally well-written novel are readers able to catch their breath and ponder any flaws the novel might have. For instance, why the title The Outlander? Mary is much more than an outlander. She is an enigma, possibly a muse, and perhaps even a little bit mad. The lapse of time is also confusing if you stop to think about it. But, perhaps it is best not to think about these two matters. Thinking too hard would dampen the excitement of this brilliantly written fast-paced read. The Outlander should be read like the great adventure it is – hang on to your hat and don’t blink in case you miss something!
The Outlander by Gil Adamson was published in 2007 by House of Anansi Press Inc., Toronto, ON. Distributed in Canada by HarperCollins Canada Ltd., Scarborough, ON. ISBN 978-0-88784-210-8
Hard cover
387 pages
Copyright 2007, Gil Adamson
