The Outcast

"If you enjoyed Ian McEwan's Atonement, this book will captivate you," states Harper's Bazaar. The Outcast, a bestselling novel that's been adapted into a BBC mini-series, unveils a compelling tale of unforeseen love and deceptive facades set in a tranquil English village post-World War II. The story unfolds in August 1957, in Sussex, where nineteen-year-old Lewis emerges from prison and finds himself at a railway station, alone. He returns to his childhood village, a place where a decade-old tragedy shattered his family, marking his youth with the absence of his mother and an estranged relationship with his father. In this village, the only person who comprehends Lewis is Kit, the daughter of a domineering local tycoon. Together, they comprehend that to carve out their futures, they must first unravel the darkest secrets of their past. As the narratives of family, love, passion, intimacy, and violence become increasingly entangled, the question arises: will Kit and Lewis be able to navigate the turmoil and rediscover each other? The Guardian describes it as "a tragic account of the devastating effects of parental abuse and the redemptive power of true love". Margot Livesey likens it to the tradition of Remains of the Day, calling it "a passionate and deeply suspenseful novel". The book has been recognized as the winner of the Costa First Novel Prize and was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction.