OUTLAWED by Anna North

OUTLAWED by Anna North **** - Handmaid’s Tale meets Westworld in this historical-dystopian-feminist Wild West story. Outlawed is a story about Ada, the 17-year-old daughter of a midwife who happens to be infertile. In an alternate American history, a deadly flu wiped out 80% of the population, leaving a community that honors and reveres fertile women and children above everything. Praising Baby Jesus, this community accuses any infertile woman of being a witch and sentences her to death or exile. Ada is determined to evade this destiny by joining the notorious Hole in the Wall Gang led by the non-binary, mysterious, and revered leader, The Kid. Ada uses her midwifery and medical skills to assist the gang in their adventures.

This novel was an exciting break from my usual read. It was January’s Book of the Month and labeled a historical fiction; it was completely and unexpectedly different from what I thought it would be. Nevertheless, I truly enjoyed it. What I liked: I love an alternative history or future that is only slightly different from reality - it’s always fun to see that subtle world-building and figure it out along the way. I thought this book did a fantastic job at that, although the reviews seem mixed. I also can always appreciate a novel that attempts to discuss and integrate difficult and heavy topics. North elegantly weaved elements of LGBTQ+, mental health, race, intersectionality, gender norms, and fertility. I breezed through this book, and the ending was hopeful and sweet, leaving me happy and satisfied.

Why this novel didn’t receive 5 stars: I think North may have attempted to do too much with this book. There were a lot of elements squeezed into only 250 pages, and this left much to be desired in terms of character development, detailed adventures, and effective discussion of important topics. I think I would have enjoyed this book much more if it was twice as long. In my opinion, when a novel attempts to include important topics (LGBTQ, feminism, race) but doesn’t fully dive into it - seems only to gloss over it once or twice - it does a disservice to that topic. It felt that at times, North was checking a box off for “mental health” or “race” instead of truly addressing the topic and serving that community. I also love a good heist story, and this book had many opportunities for adventure, crime, and plotting. However, every section about the heists seemed rushed and basic. Lastly, the characters seemed relatively shallow and I did not connect with them as much as I typically do in other novels I love.

I did enjoy reading this novel, and I sped through it pretty quickly. Upon finishing it, however, I realized there were many elements left to be desired, expanded upon, or simply left out. That being said, it is a wonderful take on an old west story and I’m all for a mostly-female cast of characters.