Outrun, The
Liptrot, AmyAfter years of riotous living in London, Amy Liptrot, now 30, has finished rehab and needing to embrace sobriety, does so by returning home to the remote Orkney Islands, off the north coast of Scotland. It is a journey of rediscovery, not just of the people who shaped her, but also the wild beauty of Orkney; its icy waters, its dramatic, windswept landscape and its abundant wildlife.
Moving from addiction to recovery, this is an unflinchingly honest memoir, poignant and beautifully descriptive, that confidently balances personal revelation with an ode to Orkney and the healing power of nature.
Pages
276
276
Year
2016
2016
Reviews
24-10-2023
Realistic 'journey' set in a beautiful and interesting location. Most of us enjoyed it.
20-10-2023
We all enjoyed this book. Well written, and interesting themes.
15-09-2023
Beautifully written and much enjoyed by our group.
03-07-2023
The majority of the group loved it, and it stimulated a great afternoon of discussion.
17-11-2022
All agreed this was a well-written memoir. We appreciated Amy's honesty about her decline caused by her addictions to drugs and alcohol. We very much enjoyed her descriptions of the Orkneys - birds, sea, sky and humans had us enthralled. We had a vigorous discussion about addictions and manic depression.
08-11-2022
We all enjoyed this book, especially the author's prose. She had a delightful way of describing the landscapes etc. She had a painful journey with her addiction, but being on Orkney certainly gave her strength and understanding of herself.
03-08-2022
We all enjoyed this book, as several of us had visited Orkney. The author's description of Orkney brought our memories to life.
29-06-2022
All of our group found this a compelling story of one person's descent into alcoholism, told in graphic detail. The descriptions of the Orkney islands, former home of Amy Liptrot, were amazing, as was her healing through the wild environment she was increasingly drawn into.
27-05-2022
Beautiful descriptions and an important topic, but a bit slow at times...
27-04-2022
The writing was greatly admired. Beautiful dense prose. We loved the descriptions of the environment, and were in awe of Amy's recovery and determination.
15-03-2022
Well-written, and and we enjoyed the descriptions of the Orkney Islands. However, most of us didnt really feel a connection with the author, possibly because she was so self absorbed.....
01-06-2021
All members of our group thought this book was a very worthwhile read, and we learnt a lot about what alcoholism is, and how hard it is to control. Also we enjoyed the descriptions of the Orkney Islands and all the references to nature.
12-04-2021
Interesting discussion about alcoholism and recovering. One member had been to the Orkney Islands and visited the Neolithic sites. We all enjoyed reading about Orkney and the author's journey to recovery.
09-04-2021
Everyone loved the book. We had a lively discussion on the issues of addiction, and the impact of something like alcoholism on a person. The setting of the novel in Orkney appealed to many - we discussed the contrasts between London and deserted islands. Liptrot's journey in recovery and her drinking issue engages the reader. She is a talented writer.
18-03-2021
Interesting, informative descriptive of Scottish islands; unusual structure.
05-02-2021
Everyone really enjoyed reading this account of Amy recovering from alcoholism at such a young age, and returning to her Orkney Islands home roots and her wonderful account of living in such harsh surroundings. Her brave honesty confronting her wrecked life, and contrasting her sobriety with stunning descriptions of Orkney. Loved it.
11-11-2020
Good discussion - alcoholism, nature, quality of written language, teenage dissatisfaction all mentioned. Several members felt the book was depressing but most of us enjoyed it.
04-11-2020
All of our members who were able to attend the meeting really enjoyed this book. A challenging but very honest description of her battle with alcoholism. Wonderful description of the bird life, marine life, and historical sites on these islands.
30-09-2020
A sad story of someone looking for their identity. We all enjoyed her writing and island life.
25-05-2020
Everyone enjoyed the book, especially the in depth description of the Orkney islands. Some thought there was too much on the author's alcoholism.
22-05-2020
A quick ring around revealed we all enjoyed learning about the Orkneys. Less interested in the alcoholic journey of recovery, but realise the intertwining of the two stories makes the book more balanced.
06-03-2020
A very popular book for our members. We felt the book was in two parts - one on addiction, and one on the Orkneys. Both interesting.
06-03-2020
Ninety percent of the group really loved it. Found the writing lyrical but for some it was a little 'stop start', or changing the subject too quickly. We appreciated the author's courage for sharing her struggle with alcoholism. The descriptions of the islands were fantastic, and there was lots of information about the birds and about life in general which made it very interesting.