I really enjoyed this book. It's set in the old west during the time of outlaws but it's also after an epidemic wipes out a large percent of the population of America. The outlaws are barren women who have banded together to survive. A very interesting book. I highly recommend it.

This was a very thought provoking book.  Imagine the thought of being hung for witchcraft because you are barren.  I enjoyed this tale of outcast women who became outlaws and paved their way through the Wild West. It was an interesting and well written plot.  
Many thanks to Bloomsbury USA and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

If you're a fan of westerns, but always wanted to see a group of women instead of men, this is the book for you. It had a The Handmaid's Tale feel to it, with barrenness in women being a huge issue.

I really loved this book. I love a good dystopia & alternate history. This story is about a little band of outlaws creating their own haven after being excommunicated for witchcraft when they were unable to bear children. I've read other books with similar backgrounds but North took the story and made it entirely new, set in the Old West, and simultaneously addressing topics of gender, sexism, racism,  and homophobia and a quick, fast-paced read. I had no idea what to expect from this book and I found myself enthralled from beginning to satisfying end. I love anything original and this definitely meets that mark,

Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher the the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Outlawed” by Anna North is an excellent historical fiction novel incorporating romance, adventure, and sisterhood. North weaves in timely issues that still impact women today through a historical lens, directly addressing challenges faced when confronting societal norms. It is both inspiring, and heart rendering to  read into the stories of these powerful women, their unique journeys and the obstacles overcome. Highly recommended!

I really liked this twist on the Hole in the Wall Gang, where a young woman leaves the life she was ordained for to join the gang in their adventures.  I thought the approach was very creative and I really enjoyed the interaction of the woman Ada and The Kid.

I received an e-ARC of this book by the author and publishing via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I cannot say enough good things about this book. I NEVER knew that i"ve always wanted a feminist western, but apparently I have! This book tore me to pieces, made me laugh, inspired me...what a book. I finished it last month and can't stop thinking about it - it feels a bit like everything I've read since I finished it pales in comparison, even though I've been reading excellent books!

This is such a fun story, yet North also smartly tackles ideas of resistance, belief/superstition, and finding your family (and yourself). At once an exciting Western adventure story, North weaves a beautiful story of a community of womxn who have been rejected from their homes and have worked hard to create a safe haven for themselves and any others like them. Through the experience of this community, and through the eyes of our main character, Ada, we come to a full understanding of how hard it can be to make people see the world differently—but the joy and fulfillment that can come from the hard work of trying to do so.

North mainly focuses her unravelling of the Western genre on gender and the expectations of womanhood at the time. I really enjoyed how accepting and celebratory of queer identities this story was, especially in such a male-dominated genre. I do wish North spent more time delving into ideas of race, LGBTQ+ identity, and class.

Generally, I just loved the Western vibes and how North tipped this genre on its head. I also loved the sub-plot love story—I'm just a sucker for love, ok!! This is a fun, plot-based read that will have you staying up all night to finish. It is heartwarming, and I adored it.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance read copy of this book in exchange for a unbiased review. 

This book tells the story of one woman’s journey to find her calling against all odds. This book shares the strength that women have to overcome ignorance - both within themselves and others.   Ada goes from a strong you girl to a wife, to a studying to be a nun, to being an outlaw and then...

I love the concept of this book and I even got so caught up in the story that when my iPad ran out of battery at a high stakes moment of the book, I audibly said “NOOOOOO”. I wanted to know what happened next. All that being said, I couldn’t completely connect with the storyline especially since it takes place in the mid 1890’s but the antics were more along the lines of the 1690’s, which is why I gave it only 3 stars.

An LGBTQIA+ friendly book that is also a western? Sign me up! I read the blurb for this and immediately signed up for a galley and was absolutely thrilled when I was bestowed an e-copy. Of course, with all that build-up, I was a bit worried that it would let me down. Thankfully, it didn't! The aforementioned LGBTIQIA+ characters in the book are outcasts, as you might expect. a Rogue band of outlaws led by the Kid is trying to create what basically amounts to a western safe space for them so they can live and thrive. Ada ends up having to join this gang because at the tender age of 17, she has been married a year and not produced a child. That is basically heresy in these times, and the townspeople begin to suspect a woman is a witch if she is barren. This is infuriating as a modern-day reader and feminist, but I had to keep reminding myself that people were quite ignorant of so much about the human body back then. Still, you may have to put the book down on occasion if it frustrates you that much. The book is excellent though. The characters are well-rounded and this is a short, tight story that doesn't meander like some novels.

Combining the searing, timely observations of novels like THE HANDMAID’S TALE and THE BOOK OF V. with the grit and high-stakes adventurism of classic Westerns, journalist and author Anna North’s OUTLAWED is an instantly compelling speculative tale of feminism, tragedy and hope.

The year is 1894. Following a pandemic-like flu that destroyed the United States, the power of female fertility is at the heart of the new world order and belief system. But rather than upholding women and praising their sacrifices, this intensely patriarchal belief system centers on the Baby Jesus and casts out women who are barren or prefer the romantic company of other women as witches. Our main character, Ada, is 17 years old when she is married and, having accompanied her midwife mother on many births, is extremely excited to begin her life as a wife and mother. Night after night she lays with her husband, but when no baby comes, she begins to fear the very real possibility that she could be thrown out of his home, blamed for the stillbirths of other women around her, or even killed.

With the help of her mother, a no-nonsense woman who understands that birth is both a miracle and a mystery, Ada tries nearly everything she can think of to get pregnant, including sleeping with another man who is known to be particularly fertile. But as she discovers that sex can involve pleasure, pain and tragedy, her secret is exposed, and she soon finds herself on the run from her beloved town. Despite the fact that she has helped several local women with births, infections and the regulation of their menstrual cycles, she has been branded a witch, and nothing short of an immaculate conception can save her from the fear and hatred of her townsfolk.

As Ada’s life is upended, the town is rocked by stories and legends of the Kid and the Hole in the Wall Gang, a notorious criminal group known for evading capture at every turn. In her flight from home, Ada comes to join these outlaws --- and learns that there is much more to the Kid’s story than meets the eye. Neither he nor she, the Kid exists only as “the Kid” and is determined to create a safe haven for outcast women: the barren, the mixed-race, the queer and the nonbinary. But decades of trauma and loneliness have made their mark on the Kid too, and as Ada learns the ways of the gang, the Kid’s moods and beliefs --- already mercurial and grandiose --- take on a menacing edge, putting their safe haven in danger.

Along with members Cassie, News, Elzy, Texas, Lo and Agnes Rose --- each with their own traumatic past --- Ada fights to maintain the careful balance the gang has achieved through years of robberies and luck. But when the Kid’s dreams for the group reach new highs, the Kid embarks on a treacherous plan that is sure to either get them all killed or turn them into the very same preachers, lawmakers and deputies they despise. Through it all, Ada wonders if the life of an outlaw is truly the right path for her --- the one that will allow her to help the greatest amount of women like her and her gang --- or if she is meant to lead the fight for female fertility studies and rights, following in the footsteps of her mother.

OUTLAWED is at once a pitch-perfect Western --- complete with gunslinging, horseback riding and blazing shootouts --- a parable of the fight for women’s rights, and a deeply felt saga about the search for hope after a lifetime of pain. North writes a breathtaking cast of fully realized characters whose struggles for gender nonconformity and queer love will hit any reader at his or her core. Headstrong, no-nonsense Ada and her search for knowledge read like a perfect feminist hero, but North is careful to explore her flaws as well, and the ways that she has not yet met her full potential, adding a layer of excitement to the already page-turning book. Even the supporting characters are given full weight, and some --- like News or fellow robber Lark --- will tug at your heartstrings just as much as Ada or the Kid.

By using an alternate version of the lawless Old West as a backdrop for the themes of gender exploration and fertility, North highlights her characters’ desperate fight for survival and turns the Western genre on its head, subverting everything about it. Themes such as racism and sexual expression, which so rarely see their due in classic Westerns, are given the spotlight they deserve, allowing North to add new complexities to the Old West and give voice to a whole new world of characters and readers. But even these laudatory traits could not stand on their own if she was not such a captivating storyteller, whose prose borders on poetic and whose observations are as carefully worded as they are breathtaking.

Set in an America that we are fortunate not to know --- and yet recognize all too easily --- OUTLAWED is a masterpiece of feminist theory, Western drama and emotional resonance.

This book hooked me from the start and lived up to the hype. I enjoyed North's writing style and imaginative alternate history. Ada was a compelling character. I look forward to Anna North's next work.

A rollicking good western told from an often ignored point of view. I very much enjoyed the alternative history, and the idea of barren women forming an outlaw gang was a fresh new take on the outlaw genre. I particularly enjoyed the character of The Kid, and how dedicated they were to protecting the gang. Overall, a great new western!

After being drawn to Outlawed by an intriguing opening line, I was curious to read even more after meeting Ada, the heroine, a determined teenager. The story follows Ada through one year in an alternate version of the American West circa 1894. After failing to become pregnant in the first year of her marriage, Ada was forced to leave her family and hometown. Her path eventually took her to a band of outcasts living non-binary lifestyles. They became outlaws resorting to robbery to survive.

North’s version of the times was creative, unique, and complex. Despite being somewhat uneven in execution, it was thought-provoking and made for an interesting, fun read.

I loved this book it was so much fun while also having a lot of important things to say. I loved the characters and the writing style. I read the book without stopping.

I picked up this book so excited because it was a choice for two celeb book clubs. I was incredibly let down as this was not the type of book I was expecting. I loved the historical fiction set up and I found my self questioning if the things I was reader were read. Ada is a barren girl in a town who believes that those who cannot bare children are witches. To avoid being hung or imprisoned Ada leaves to join a group of other outlaws who were forced from their towns for various reasons. With that being said, this book fell short. Coming in at 260 pages, I honestly felt like I was missing so much. The short story along with the all over the place story line left me craving for character development. I wanted to know these characters but it never came. The last 60 pages were wonderful and I wish the rest of the book was the same. I’d be curious to see if their is another novel based on the ending.

Captivating from the beginning. The story flows easily. Seems like utopia where a town could be wholly made up of women. Shows what could happen when people are based on one issue, as here barren women.
Lots of material here for book clubs and insightful thinking.
Strong women are highlighted and bonded together on survival.
Thank you to Netgalley for preview copy in return for my review

Set in the Old west, you could read this as a fan of historical fiction, but you will come away a little disappointed.  It is not the old West we have come to know in previous storytelling. Instead of a futuristic dystopian, we are thrown into a past of what-could-of-been. A mix of the Salem Witch Trials, The Handmaid's Tale, and the wild west, we meet Ada who has to leave her great life because of current in place norms. But how far will she go?  Enter the Hole In the Wall Gang. This where the story falls from its great potential. The many characters that enter Ada's life are not explored fully, let alone the storytelling that could have been between Ada and her new 'sisters' as we all know certain people are in our life for a reason, this is true for Literary characters too.  I do look forward to this author's future fiction writing as her background and talent are great launching pads.

(I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.)

In the spirit of reading books close to when they come out, I picked up Anna North's Outlawed, about which I knew nearly nothing except alternate history and midwives, both of which are a hell-yeah for me. Turns out I also get a ragtag band of queer women and nonbinary folks living as outlaws in the Old West. Have you ever heard such a tempting description?

The alternate history premise is pretty great; just after the United States won their independence, a devastating flu killed more than half of the people. The fledgling U.S. didn't make it, but of course the survivors carried on, and by the time of our story the middle of North American is full of small city-states that are basically just Old West towns without the federal government behind them. 

Because of the huge population loss, motherhood has taken a particularly revered, religious, magical overtone. A married woman who doesn't have a child before too long might be a witch, and might end up hanged. When Ada, who's spent her whole life learning to be a midwife from her mother, finds herself childless and getting the side-eye from her neighbors, she has to run.

Her journey over the first half of the book goes to all kinds of places where humanity, knowledge, and superstition live in various combinations. From a convent to a cattle town, to Hole in the Wall, where in real life the notorious Butch Cassidy led his famous gang. Ada's medical skills and thirst for the scientific knowledge that is so thin on the ground in her world is just the kind of detailed worldbuilding fun that I love to read.

The real meat of the book is around the Hole in the Wall Gang, notorious outlaws who are secretly women on the run. Led by the Kid, a visionary whose enormous personality is sometimes all that holds their band together against a world that's out to get them.

While the book is plotted like an adventure, what I love about it is what a careful examination it is of this world--in many ways like our own historical world and even our own current one--and also of what it means to be a person living in it. Ada's is at various points a happy wife, an accused witch, a novice nun, an aspiring scientist, a medic, and an outlaw, and she observes each of these experiences is a way that has me hooked. 

Race is a rising issue in her world, as well, both because of her new friends, but also because of political movements that are spreading through the country. Ada's scientific clarity on the subject is refreshing; her un-outlawlike tendency to say what she's thinking is anxiety-making in a book like this!

I'm at the point where we are engaging in The Big Heist, and I'm so nervous about it that I'm having trouble reading. Pretty much everything that's been at stake at any point in the book is at stake now: Ada's awkwardness as an outlaw, the risk of living disguised as a man, her friend's race, the gang's entire future. But the biggest question mark is the Kid's vision--can a bank heist really create the world they want to live in? 

I honestly don't know the answer. I'm not sure yet if this is the kind of book where we get a happy ending, where alternate history goes the way you want and big ideas and good people can win in the end, or if it's the kind of book where it all falls apart as we're faced with the inevitable fact that we can only shine our little light in the darkness.

Or is it a book where you can win the day and find reality waiting on the other side of your dreams? I have no idea! Hopefully I've just made myself brave enough to read on and find out.

I’m not generally a fan of Western’s, the premise intrigued me...A band of outlaws, women (some dressed as men), queer, living outside societal norms. Heck ya! Intense, emotional, poignant, and enough action to accelerate the pace and intensity of this novel. I highly recommend this book.

**i received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book.