Audiobook Review | The Outrun

I heard a lot of good things about this book and I’m glad I found the time for it.

The Outrun
Amy Liptrot

At the age of thirty, 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.

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I’m not usually one for a memoir of this nature, but I saw so many people talking about it when it first came out, it features Orkney to which I have a slight connection, and I knew that a film was coming out so I was keen to read it.

There is something a little magical sounding about Papay, almost like it is a world apart, I can’t imagine it was easy to return to after the hustle and bustle of the city. I quite liked that the author switched between her time in London and her time in Orkney, it gave a sharp contrast to what the two were like.

I found this recollection quite interesting, I enjoyed hearing about the corncrakes, the wild swimming, the film festival and the other ways the small community would come together as a backdrop to the author coming to terms with her addiction. I was also intrigued to get a glimpse into alcohol addiction and how it can have such a destructive effect on life.

I like how well-balanced this was throughout the book, the downward spiral of her time in London and the realisation that she needed help set against the calm and self-reflection that happened on the island. There were some beautiful turns of phrase and comparisons about her journey and the landscape surrounding her and it was a pleasure to listen to, the amazing narration by Tracy Wiles added to this.

I’m glad I decided to switch up my genres and try this book, it was unexpected in an excellent way.