The Outrun
Memoir, Addiction, Nature
Non-Fiction
Published by Canongate
A remarkable memoir of addiction and recovery that marks the arrival of a significant new voice in nature writing.
Amy was shaped by the cycle of the seasons, birth and death on the farm, and her father’s mental illness, which were as much a part of her childhood as the wild, carefree existence on Orkney. But as she grew up, she longed to leave this remote life. She moved to London and found herself in a hedonistic cycle. Unable to control her drinking, alcohol gradually took over. Now 30, she finds herself washed up back home on Orkney, standing unstable at the cliff edge, trying to come to terms with what happened to her in London.
‘The Outrun’ is a beautiful, inspiring book about living on the edge, about the pull between island and city, and about the ability of the sea, the land, the wind and the moon to restore life and renew hope.
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Reviews
“Courageous and clear-sighted, this is a memorable debut.”
“Liptrot’s recovery tale is spectacular, a beautiful account of how she uses the world around her to begin to mend the broken parts of her body and soul. It’s also an unbelievably truthful description of the difficulties that will always haunt an addict.”
“Liptrot is an Orcadian warrior with the breeze in her blood and poetry in her fingers, and ‘The Outrun’ equals works by fellow islanders such as George Mackay Brown and Peter Maxwell Davies. It may even be a future classic. Wherever she journeys next, you will want to go with her.”
