The Outrun

By: Amy Liptrot

Narrated by: Tracy Wiles

Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

At the age of 30, Amy Liptrot finds herself washed up back home on Orkney. Standing unstable on the island, she tries to come to terms with the addiction that has swallowed the last decade of her life.

As she spends her mornings swimming in the bracingly cold sea, her days tracking Orkney's wildlife, and her nights searching the sky for the Merry Dancers, Amy discovers how the wild can restore life and renew hope.

©2016 Amy Liptrot (P)2016 Canongate Books Ltd

Slow to Start But Picks Up Brilliantly

What did you love best about The Outrun?

The narrator's recovery among her native Orkney islands. She made recovery a combo of hard work, being one with nature, and the healing power of the sea

What did you like best about this story?

It didn't grab me from the first - her alcoholism and downward spiral were dull and uninspiring. She told me nothing new. But her return home really picked up the pacing of the book. Counting the birds was terrific.

Which character – as performed by Tracy Wiles – was your favorite?

The narrator of course.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

Life on the Orkneys. I may visit.

3.5 stars

Oh, the Merry Dancers!
There was a level of honesty reached with the writing of this memoir that must have been difficult to put to paper. That, I admire. Among the brutal honesties are details of living beauties she seeks in place of the drink. What a beautiful journey through the recovery process!

I want to start over at the beginning.

I need to move to Scotland. it's settled. obviously an island. will need a snorkel

Stunning setting, good memoir

3.5 stars. A thoughtful memoir recounting the author's alcoholism and journey to sobriety, made even better by a stellar narration.

Much here is not new, though it is rendered in lovely prose. In many ways, addiction stories are similar, with lives spiraling out of control, friendships tested, health endangered, and usually an undercurrent of trying to escape the traumas and disappointments (whether big or small) of life. Then again, each person is individual and the vagaries of life that led them to the substance they come to abuse are different. For Liptrot, she hailed from a family where her father struggled mightily with mental illness and was often at odds with her evangelical mother. Likewise, Liptrot suspected that she might have some of her father's manic and depressive tendencies. For her, her drinking started out in the normal range for her age and social circle but became more intense, less controlled, and eventually wrecked her relationship with a boyfriend, made her job untenable, led to a series of incredibly reckless encounters, and finally forced her to face the fact that she needed to get help.

Where this memoir does stand out from others is that her recovery is played out in the landscape of her childhood - the Orkney Islands off of Scotland. Liptrot describes this windswept and severe setting with great skill, making the cliffs and sea come alive, painting the summer's night-less sky
with magic, and introducing us to the solitude and camaraderie of these lightly populated places (where wildlife often outnumbers people). As she comes to terms with sobriety, she finds herself attempting to accept life without alcohol, working to sever the neurological connections that have been built up over years of drinking. Liptrot obviously struggles to find meaning and purpose for herself, and to really live each day, rather than just trying not to drink. In doing so, she takes long walks and explores her home island and others in the grouping. She takes a job that involves canvassing the island in search of a rare bird, she joins a group that swims in the always frigid seas, she writes and reads and takes time to gain strength and perspective and confidence.

While Liptrot's journey from addiction to sobriety to some measure of contentment is not unique, having it take place in this remote part of the world makes the book well worth the time.

the struggle is real

I appreciate the authors struggle. I felt like I was there trying to get through this book... if I wasn't listening while driving my guess is I would not have made it through. there are some beautifully descriptive passages, and some of my issue may have been timing after reading multiple "self reflective help books" in a row. I'm sure it helped her heal and may certainly give inspiration, I love the rawness in parts, but next time I just want someone to create a story for me to enjoy!