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After Rachel Yoder's husband is murdered by outlaws in an act of outrageous greed, she must raise her 10-year-old son alone on the Montana Plains. One day, a handsome stranger dying from a gunshot wound walks into her ranch. With simple kindness, she treats his injury and nurses him back to health. Soon Rachel finds herself drawn to this mysterious outsider with a violent past—and must put her future on the line for a last chance at happiness.
For her latest western romance, Williamson (Heart of the West) adapts the recipe used in the John Wayne film Angel and the Badman (itself retooled for Harrison Ford in Witness): take one strong-willed, God-fearing Plain woman; add one worldly tough guy with a penchant for firearms; dramatize the difference between redemption and revenge; and stir. Time passes steadily with a "sweet sameness" for the hardworking Plain People in the Montana mountain valley where they raise their sheep, until one bleak late-winter day in 1886, when wounded gunslinger Johnny Cain staggers into widow Rachel Yoder's hay meadow, leaving a trail of bloody footprints. Rachel tends to the handsome stranger, who gradually recovers and seems to bond with Benjo, her stuttering nine-year-old son. Filled with "the smells of fried mush and blood," "the sour stink of sheep" and "the whispered perfume of apple blossoms," The Outsider contains plenty of details that nicely evoke the hardships of life on the frontier, along with the simple joys. Dialogue ranges from terse (Plain people aren't big talkers) to corny: "I know I'm nothin' but a worthless chippy, a whore, a tart, sportin' gal and fancy gal," says the town prostitute to the town doctor. The plot is unreservedly melodramatic, as some evil ranchers plot against the Plain people and Johnny and Rachel hem and haw their way toward consummating their forbidden love. But there are enough supporting characters and subplots to keep historical romance fans turning the pages all the way to the bittersweet ending, in which the relative merits of revenge and redemption come to somewhat of a stalemate. (July)
| Price | Condition | Delivery | Seller | Action |
| $99.99 | Digital |
| WonderClub |
Carlos Hurtado
reviewed The Outsider on May 19, 2010 The Outsider
Read first Sept. 16th 2008, Reread August 3-Aug 5th 2012
Every once in a great while, you as a reader are given the opportunity to read something that will "impact you forever". It is rare and usually unexpected, but the feeling of "I'm reading something magical!" stays with you long after you turn the last page. The Outsider is one of those rare gems.
I hesitate to even review this book. I want to "do it justice" and communicate effectively just why you need to purchase, not just read, this incredible story.
The plot is simple. An Amish woman belonging to a sect called the "Plain People" is widowed and raising her 10 year son. Her life changes when an "Outsider", hence the title, staggers onto her property shot and half dead. All people who are not Plain are considered outsiders and "lost" people. Of course, Rachel takes him in, prays for him, and nurses him back to health. Johnny Cain is the Outsider. For as good and innocent as Rachel is, Johnny is her counterpoint. He is an admitted killer and has seen and done evil. This is their story.
Rachel Yoder is a hero in my book. She displays courage, determination, empathy, and a faith that (although frustrating at times) was REAL and authentic. She lived her faith in her everyday actions and words. I quickly came to care very deeply for her and wanted happiness for her. Johnny Cain drops into her lap and BRINGS BACK HER LAUGHTER! I loved it. He taught her how to laugh and have fun, something that had been missing since her husband passed away and the burden of single-parenthood was overwhelming at times.
Johnny Cain just might be my favorite hero EVER. At first he seemed so "bad", but you quickly come to see a different side to this complex character. Unfortunately, you are not let into his head until towards the end of the book, but his actions speak volumes about how he feels about Rachel and her son Benjo. Rachel comes into Johnny's life and TEACHES HIM HOW TO LOVE AND ALL ABOUT FAITH. It is this aspect of the book that is absolutely magical. At one point he says "I don't believe in anything..but I believe in you".
The descriptions of the Plain life, sheep farming, and the small surrounding community are all wonderful and important, but it is the deep and abiding love that gets planted, takes seed, and grows between Rachel, Johnny, and Benjo that sets this one apart.
There are very few sex scenes, and those present are discreet, subtle, and vague.....it doesn't matter. I am a romance reader that likes the payoff of a great love scene. I never thought I'd say this, but this book might be too good for that. The "love scenes" really have nothing to do with the act of sex, but more center around their interaction outside of the bedroom. There is definitely passion (don't get me wrong), but the love these two share transcends passion. It is a soul connection.
I don't know what else to say? If you've been in a reading slump and are looking for something incredible, gut wrenching, and lasting...look no further. I've read all of Penelope Williamson's books and they all provide that "special something" that is so rare in fiction today, but The Outsider is her MASTERPIECE in my opinion and just should not be missed.
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