A review by pagesofkim
Outlawed by Anna North

4.0

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.4 (4.4 out of 5 stars)

I chose this book for my Book of the Month pick for January because it was just simply outside of my normal and it sounded so quirky and fun. And it was.

This is the tale of Ada, a barren woman living in the 1890s. You don’t want to be a barren woman living in the 1890s, first of all. It doesn’t go over well with the townspeople, or your husband‘s family, for that matter. Unable to conceive a child, Ada becomes an outlaw and gains confidence and wisdom - she builds her skills to prove her worth in a male dominated society. This is a story of overcoming incredible odds.

I really enjoyed this book. There was a lot of old time medical thinking which was so fascinating! It made me very thankful for where medicine is today. There were also some undiagnosed mental illnesses which took me back to my psychiatric nursing days. My only gripe with this book was that the chapters were super long -like 40 and 50 pages long, which for me, made it harder to read. I really prefer a book that has shorter chapters, as I’m frequently putting the book down when I have mom or work duties to attend to.

If you’re looking for something new and fun to read in the new year, this is it! Strong female characters and a plot that keeps you guessing.