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The Boultons #2
Ridgerunner
Part literary Western and part historical mystery, Ridgerunner is the follow-up to Gil Adamson’s award-winning and critically acclaimed novel The Outlander.
November 1917. William Moreland is in mid-flight. After nearly twenty years, the notorious thief, known as the Ridgerunner, has returned. Moving through the Rocky Mountains and across the border to Montana, the solitary drifter, impoverished in means and aged beyond his years, is also a widower and a father. And he is determined to steal enough money to secure his son’s future.
Twelve-year-old Jack Boulton has been left in the care of Sister Beatrice, a formidable nun who keeps him in cloistered seclusion in her grand old house. Though he knows his father is coming for him, the boy longs to return to his family’s cabin, deep in the woods. When Jack finally breaks free, he takes with him something the nun is determined to get back — at any cost.
Set against the backdrop of a distant war raging in Europe and a rapidly changing landscape in the West, Gil Adamson’s follow-up to her award-winning debut, The Outlander, is a vivid historical novel that draws from the epic tradition and a literary Western brimming with a cast of unforgettable characters touched with humour and loss, and steeped in the wild of the natural world.
November 1917. William Moreland is in mid-flight. After nearly twenty years, the notorious thief, known as the Ridgerunner, has returned. Moving through the Rocky Mountains and across the border to Montana, the solitary drifter, impoverished in means and aged beyond his years, is also a widower and a father. And he is determined to steal enough money to secure his son’s future.
Twelve-year-old Jack Boulton has been left in the care of Sister Beatrice, a formidable nun who keeps him in cloistered seclusion in her grand old house. Though he knows his father is coming for him, the boy longs to return to his family’s cabin, deep in the woods. When Jack finally breaks free, he takes with him something the nun is determined to get back — at any cost.
Set against the backdrop of a distant war raging in Europe and a rapidly changing landscape in the West, Gil Adamson’s follow-up to her award-winning debut, The Outlander, is a vivid historical novel that draws from the epic tradition and a literary Western brimming with a cast of unforgettable characters touched with humour and loss, and steeped in the wild of the natural world.
443 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
218 people are currently reading
2757 people want to read
About the author
Gil Adamson
10 books188 followersGil Adamson (born Gillian Adamson, 1961) is a Canadian writer. She won the Books in Canada First Novel Award in 2008 for her 2007 novel The Outlander.
Adamson's first published work was "Primitive," a volume of poetry, in 1991. She followed up with the short story collection "Help Me, Jacques Cousteau" in 1995 and a second volume of poetry, "Ashland," in 2003, as well as multiple chapbooks and a commissioned fan biography of Gillian Anderson, "Mulder, It’s Me," which she coauthored with her sister-in-law Dawn Connolly in 1998.
"The Outlander," a novel set in the Canadian West at the turn of the 20th century, was published by House of Anansi in the spring of 2007 and won the Hammett Prize that year. The novel was later selected for the 2009 edition of Canada Reads, where it was championed by actor Nicholas Campbell.
Adamson currently lives in Toronto with poet Kevin Connolly.
Adamson's first published work was "Primitive," a volume of poetry, in 1991. She followed up with the short story collection "Help Me, Jacques Cousteau" in 1995 and a second volume of poetry, "Ashland," in 2003, as well as multiple chapbooks and a commissioned fan biography of Gillian Anderson, "Mulder, It’s Me," which she coauthored with her sister-in-law Dawn Connolly in 1998.
"The Outlander," a novel set in the Canadian West at the turn of the 20th century, was published by House of Anansi in the spring of 2007 and won the Hammett Prize that year. The novel was later selected for the 2009 edition of Canada Reads, where it was championed by actor Nicholas Campbell.
Adamson currently lives in Toronto with poet Kevin Connolly.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 294 reviews
January 1, 2024
There is a scene late in the novel that I want to share with you: a man trapped high in a tree, lashed by his belt to a thick branch to hold him in place in case he falls asleep and relaxes enough to let go. He's been there for three days, weak with fear, hunger, thirst. Below him a massive grizzly bear waits, too battle-scarred to climb the tree after the man but patient and determined. Occasionally the bear trundles over to give the tree an almighty shake. The rest of the time the grizzly sits, his back to the tree, like a "recalcitrant baby." This image, and the tension of this scene, is so visceral, the contrast of a killer bear and a fat, petulant baby so jarring, it's forever seared into my mind's eye.
And that's just how good the entire book is. Vivid, tense, terrible and beautiful. Ridgerunner, Gil Adamson's follow-up to 2007's outstanding The Outlander, is an epic literary western, magnificent in detail and scope, gorgeous in character, gripping in pace.
The story is set in 1917 and crosses the border between the Canadian province of Alberta and the American West. William Moreland's wife is dead and his twelve-year-old son is recovering from a serious illness. Moreland leaves his son in care of a nun, Sister Beatrice, in the town of Banff while he goes on a mission to collect as much money as he can to save his son and set him up for life. Except that Moreland's idea of "collecting" is to break and enter banks, mining offices, construction sites, and hotels to steal their cash boxes.
Meanwhile, Jack recovers but finds himself trapped in a mansion with a woman who saved his body only to try and steal his soul. He escapes and returns to the only place he knows as home: a cabin miles deep the woods, where he'd lived in isolated splendor with his mother and father. Still just a boy, he knows enough to fend for himself, but Sampson Beaver, a Nakoda native living a few miles away, reaches out and draws the boy under his wing, giving him just enough independence to learn, but not rope enough to hang himself.
Sister Beatrice will not give up her charge so easily, however. What seems at first like an unhealthy obsession with a young boy by a lonely old woman becomes a terrifying manhunt. And while Jack learns there is a bounty for his recapture, his father, now a notorious thief, is being pursued across the Rockies by angry grizzly bears and armed men with vendettas.
The historical detail in Ridgerunner is astonishing. From the intimacy of a one-room cabin to the vastness of the Rockies, from chain-gangs of WWI prisoners of war to the campsite of wealthy Canadian tourists on a guided hunting expedition, from the sewing studio of an indigenous artist to a former healer's apothecary of evil, Gil Adamson takes us on a grand tour of life on a harsh frontier that is rapidly transforming with the modern era.
The separate narrative arcs of Moreland and Jack flow together in a breathtaking waterfall of violence and love. This is a stunning novel that you'll want to carve out time for: once started, you won't be able to set it down.
Highly recommended.
And that's just how good the entire book is. Vivid, tense, terrible and beautiful. Ridgerunner, Gil Adamson's follow-up to 2007's outstanding The Outlander, is an epic literary western, magnificent in detail and scope, gorgeous in character, gripping in pace.
The story is set in 1917 and crosses the border between the Canadian province of Alberta and the American West. William Moreland's wife is dead and his twelve-year-old son is recovering from a serious illness. Moreland leaves his son in care of a nun, Sister Beatrice, in the town of Banff while he goes on a mission to collect as much money as he can to save his son and set him up for life. Except that Moreland's idea of "collecting" is to break and enter banks, mining offices, construction sites, and hotels to steal their cash boxes.
Meanwhile, Jack recovers but finds himself trapped in a mansion with a woman who saved his body only to try and steal his soul. He escapes and returns to the only place he knows as home: a cabin miles deep the woods, where he'd lived in isolated splendor with his mother and father. Still just a boy, he knows enough to fend for himself, but Sampson Beaver, a Nakoda native living a few miles away, reaches out and draws the boy under his wing, giving him just enough independence to learn, but not rope enough to hang himself.
Sister Beatrice will not give up her charge so easily, however. What seems at first like an unhealthy obsession with a young boy by a lonely old woman becomes a terrifying manhunt. And while Jack learns there is a bounty for his recapture, his father, now a notorious thief, is being pursued across the Rockies by angry grizzly bears and armed men with vendettas.
The historical detail in Ridgerunner is astonishing. From the intimacy of a one-room cabin to the vastness of the Rockies, from chain-gangs of WWI prisoners of war to the campsite of wealthy Canadian tourists on a guided hunting expedition, from the sewing studio of an indigenous artist to a former healer's apothecary of evil, Gil Adamson takes us on a grand tour of life on a harsh frontier that is rapidly transforming with the modern era.
The separate narrative arcs of Moreland and Jack flow together in a breathtaking waterfall of violence and love. This is a stunning novel that you'll want to carve out time for: once started, you won't be able to set it down.
Highly recommended.
October 22, 2020
Ah, such a delightful reading experience. I would've never picked this up if it wasn't on the Giller Prize shortlist. So, I'm grateful for its inclusion. I rarely gravitate toward historical fiction type books so it felt good to get swept up in an epic like this for a change. It was an enjoyable experience: delightful and comforting.
This is one of those books that will have you falling in love with the characters. You'll get invested almost instantaneously. Jack, the title character's 12 year old son is the star of the show. I was charmed by this rambunctious kid. Even though this book is epic in nature, it's heavily character-driven, which I appreciated. Jack, Sister Beatrice, and Ridgerunner are fascinating characters. This book is full of surprises and manages to go into some really shocking places. I don't have any complaints. It's just good.
(You don't need to read the first book to enjoy this one. The author purposely wrote it as a standalone)
This is one of those books that will have you falling in love with the characters. You'll get invested almost instantaneously. Jack, the title character's 12 year old son is the star of the show. I was charmed by this rambunctious kid. Even though this book is epic in nature, it's heavily character-driven, which I appreciated. Jack, Sister Beatrice, and Ridgerunner are fascinating characters. This book is full of surprises and manages to go into some really shocking places. I don't have any complaints. It's just good.
(You don't need to read the first book to enjoy this one. The author purposely wrote it as a standalone)
December 16, 2020
Gil Adamson took ten years to write this novel. In her own words, she writes at a “glacial pace”, and this incredibly finely polished work is a testament to her research, careful plotting and deeply chiseled characters. The story is a slow if icy burn much like the mountainous area of its setting- deep in the Canadian Rockies, primarily at Lake Louise, Alberta and circling via rail from mining town and camp to the USA border and back, with WWI in its backdrop.
I lived in some of these areas during my life, and was able to landmark most of the sites Adamson mentioned. I was also familiar with much of the history, so was very satisfied with how she brought some of the grimmest aspects of the internment of innocents, who cleared, built roads and helped to establish Lake Louise as a travel destination for the wealthy. I travelled through Frank slide, before it was cordoned off, and felt sickened by the horror at that site of mining malpractice.
Against the richness of this history, the utter wildness of this part of the world which had barely gotten a railroad through to connect Eastern and Western Canada a few decades earlier, motherless Jack Boulton tries to make his way. A wandering father, the nun entrusted with Jack’s care, an old lawman and neighbour, a part wolf dog... a sumptuous story, gently flavoured as a”Western”, truly a tasty brew with spice, adventure, hope and real history.
Very, very good.
I lived in some of these areas during my life, and was able to landmark most of the sites Adamson mentioned. I was also familiar with much of the history, so was very satisfied with how she brought some of the grimmest aspects of the internment of innocents, who cleared, built roads and helped to establish Lake Louise as a travel destination for the wealthy. I travelled through Frank slide, before it was cordoned off, and felt sickened by the horror at that site of mining malpractice.
Against the richness of this history, the utter wildness of this part of the world which had barely gotten a railroad through to connect Eastern and Western Canada a few decades earlier, motherless Jack Boulton tries to make his way. A wandering father, the nun entrusted with Jack’s care, an old lawman and neighbour, a part wolf dog... a sumptuous story, gently flavoured as a”Western”, truly a tasty brew with spice, adventure, hope and real history.
Very, very good.
October 17, 2020
Of the 3 novels shortlisted for the 2020 Giller Prize this is the one that sits at the top of the list for me. This has everything I love in a novel - the lush and literary writing, it is evocative of time, character and place. I really enjoyed this one. I know literary awards are not always about overall enjoyment, but Ridgerunner definitely hit the right reading spots for me!
November 28, 2020
Unpopular opinion incoming alert!
If I hadn’t spent so much time and money on this book I would have thrown it out a long time ago. If you have to wait until chapter 36 for things to start to get somewhat interesting, you know something has gone wrong. It’s sad because I was so excited to read this book and even voted for it when it came time to pick books in my book club but I was so disappointed.
Now, if you enjoy books where nothing much really happens I think you might enjoy the book. The author is great at getting the reader to visualize the scenes. However, I didn’t feel an emotional connection to any of the characters. Therefore, when things happened in the book I kept wondering why I should care.
If I hadn’t spent so much time and money on this book I would have thrown it out a long time ago. If you have to wait until chapter 36 for things to start to get somewhat interesting, you know something has gone wrong. It’s sad because I was so excited to read this book and even voted for it when it came time to pick books in my book club but I was so disappointed.
Now, if you enjoy books where nothing much really happens I think you might enjoy the book. The author is great at getting the reader to visualize the scenes. However, I didn’t feel an emotional connection to any of the characters. Therefore, when things happened in the book I kept wondering why I should care.
February 22, 2025
I do love a literary western themed book and this was just about perfect for me. Each of the characters were finely drawn and setting and details of ww1 alberta were fascinating and contributed to an immersive and thrilling read. The plot hummed along and when all the pieces were put in play, a twisty and somewhat anxiety inducing read unfolded with a very satisfying ending. The prose was beautifully crafted and it’s obvious the writer is also a poet. Scenes were set vividly with language that I was happy to savour. Excellent in every way for me. Very happy to have found this gem in the thrift store. Sometimes I have the best luck!
August 16, 2020
A ripping good yarn that pushed aside all the other books I was reading for a week so I could finish it. Characters I wanted to spend more time with, landscapes I wanted to see more of, and story that compelled.
November 11, 2020
I enjoyed the plot and writing style, but there was something about this book that left me uninterested in how things would play out. I just never felt compelled to get back to it.
June 4, 2020
This has to be my most anticipated book of this millennium. The Outlander was always going to be hard act to follow as it was one of my top reads almost 10 years ago. To find the authors latest book is a followup to her first was a real thrill, then I was gutted to learn that her wonderful protagonist Mary is absent from this book, apart from being a memory who comes to her sons mind at times of need.
At first I thought The Ridgerunner wasn't going to engage with me quite so much. It has a somewhat more masculine feel with mainly male lead characters apart from the Nun who actually turned out to be one of the most complex characters in the book after a slow burn beginning.
But young Jack is such a likeable and well drawn boy I soon fell in love with him and wanted to step through the pages and Mother him.
The Ridgerunner is a Western, it is a follow up to the Outlander which if you haven't read it I urge you strongly to read before reading this.
The story of a Father and Son and a few great secondary characters who played their parts admirably. Admittedly father is a total recidivist, robbing and thieving and blowing things up with his skewed sense of duty to his son. Parted whilst he sets off to steal enough money to assure his sons future, he leaves the lonely 12 year old lad with a Nun, who loves young Jack obsessively yet fails to provide one touch of affection, no wonder he runs away. The story centres around him surviving alone helped by a friend or two. At first his most loyal friends are a horse with no name and an, also nameless, dog.
The Authors writing style is wonderful, lyrical and imaginative and shines through the entire story.
I absolutely loved every word and it proved the perfect lockdown read, taking me to another time and country. It warmed my heart and gave me a sense of kinship as the boy survives alone, whilst missing his Mum who died and his Father who seems to have completely abandoned him.
At first I thought The Ridgerunner wasn't going to engage with me quite so much. It has a somewhat more masculine feel with mainly male lead characters apart from the Nun who actually turned out to be one of the most complex characters in the book after a slow burn beginning.
But young Jack is such a likeable and well drawn boy I soon fell in love with him and wanted to step through the pages and Mother him.
The Ridgerunner is a Western, it is a follow up to the Outlander which if you haven't read it I urge you strongly to read before reading this.
The story of a Father and Son and a few great secondary characters who played their parts admirably. Admittedly father is a total recidivist, robbing and thieving and blowing things up with his skewed sense of duty to his son. Parted whilst he sets off to steal enough money to assure his sons future, he leaves the lonely 12 year old lad with a Nun, who loves young Jack obsessively yet fails to provide one touch of affection, no wonder he runs away. The story centres around him surviving alone helped by a friend or two. At first his most loyal friends are a horse with no name and an, also nameless, dog.
The Authors writing style is wonderful, lyrical and imaginative and shines through the entire story.
I absolutely loved every word and it proved the perfect lockdown read, taking me to another time and country. It warmed my heart and gave me a sense of kinship as the boy survives alone, whilst missing his Mum who died and his Father who seems to have completely abandoned him.
November 28, 2020
There's no doubt that Gil Adamson's Ridgerunner deserved to be shortlisted for the 2020 Giller prize and I'm disappointed that she didn't win. Her historical research is so meticulous that I often found myself thinking: "How does she know that?" because it would be impossible to find such detailed descriptions of sounds and smells and sights in any history book. It's as if she went time travelling back to Alberta -- Banff and Lake Louise, and environs -- at the turn of the century. Since I live in this area myself, I was particularly fascinated.
The novel features three complex characters who interact in a deadly triangle of misunderstandings -- father, teenaged son, and the nun who cares for the boy. There's also a wonderful secondary character, an indigenous elder. It's difficult to say more without spoiling the plot. I've heard people complain that the book moved too slowly -- I didn't find it slow, because I was so engrossed in the author's powers of description.
The novel features three complex characters who interact in a deadly triangle of misunderstandings -- father, teenaged son, and the nun who cares for the boy. There's also a wonderful secondary character, an indigenous elder. It's difficult to say more without spoiling the plot. I've heard people complain that the book moved too slowly -- I didn't find it slow, because I was so engrossed in the author's powers of description.
October 22, 2020
Really enjoyable sequel to The Outlander, a book I’d found unexpectedly terrific. I didn’t remember the details of it at all though, and this didn’t impair my enjoyment. Focuses on 12 year old Jack Boulton, son of the Ridgerunner of the title. Jack finds himself thrown into turmoil when his mother dies and his father leaves him in the care of a nefarious nun in Banff, while dad heads out to thieve from mining towns and distant outposts in an effort to build a nest egg for his son. Great historical setting in the Banff and Lake Louise area during the First World War. A couple of slightly awkward segues into the author’s research, but those are minor quibbles. Satisfying.
June 9, 2020
I groaned inwardly as I read the description for this book as a ‘literary western’. I generally hate the western genre, I find it very dull, I don’t like guns and I’m not really a horse person, so what is there for me? Luckily I picked up Ridgerunner by Gil Adamson anyway, mainly because I enjoy reading books that are set in my own town or province. Gil Adamson also won a bunch of awards for the prequel to Ridgerunner called The Outlander, so I knew it would be written well. Despite my snobbish misgivings I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I anticipate it will find itself on many a prize list this coming Fall.
William is an outlaw of sorts, but one with a kind heart. He’s left his son Jack in the care of a nun in the town of Banff in the Rocky Mountains (for my international readers, this is about an hour’s drive from where I live in Calgary). He takes off on foot, walking south to the Alberta/Montana border, stealing from mining companies, taverns, banks, anywhere he can find some loose cash and practical tools to help him along on his journey. A widower, he is desperate to collect a decent sized amount of money to give to Jack so he can live a life of fulfillment, the money offering him the flexibility to do whatever he likes. Meanwhile, Jack is resentful of his dad for leaving him, he hates living in the town of Banff because he grew up in the woods, living off the land with his mother and father before she died. He’s fed up with trying to fit into the mold of the perfect son the nun insists he be, so he rides off on horseback in search of his old homestead.
Author Gil Adamson, photo Jean-Luc Bertini
Although it sounds like I’m setting up the plot of an action novel, this book is primarily character-driven. Jack’s caregiver is probably the most fascinating and surprising character of them all, and the twists that develop within her storyline are shocking. Because I haven’t read The Outlander, William was more of a mystery to me, but I want to assure people that I never once felt like I was missing out on Ridgerunner by not having read it’s predecessor-it stands strongly on its own. Jack is fun to read along with and we get his perspective most often. Although he’s extremely capable for a 12-year-old, his attempts at living on his own are humorous, one of my favourite scenes is when he brings a horse into his cabin from the cold. The ancillary characters are also well done, many of them exhibiting unique quirks that bring them into focus for the reader, making them unforgettable even though they play a smaller role in the book.
It takes place during WWI, and it highlights an often-ignored part of Canada’s shameful history, which was the internment camps they erected and imprisoned ‘alien’ men in. These prisoners, many of them completely innocent, guilty only of being an immigrant built the highway from Banff to Lake Louise, and Jack comes across these men and their guards while living in the mountains. Years ago I read a book that really opened my eyes to the challenges of living and homesteading in Canada at the beginning of the 20th century, which I still think of to this day because it makes me so thankful for our modern-day amentiies. And although Ridgerunner doesn’t get into the political reasons for these camps, it lays bare the horror of them, which is an important reminder as we travel these same roads to reach the beautiful scenery and tourism hot spots on a regular basis, especially for Calgarians like me. Canadians may be feeling smug these days as many view us as a diverse country accepting of differences, however our history is just as shameful as every other developed nation. Ridgerunner focuses on the beauty of our country, but it doesn’t shy away from the darkness either.
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William is an outlaw of sorts, but one with a kind heart. He’s left his son Jack in the care of a nun in the town of Banff in the Rocky Mountains (for my international readers, this is about an hour’s drive from where I live in Calgary). He takes off on foot, walking south to the Alberta/Montana border, stealing from mining companies, taverns, banks, anywhere he can find some loose cash and practical tools to help him along on his journey. A widower, he is desperate to collect a decent sized amount of money to give to Jack so he can live a life of fulfillment, the money offering him the flexibility to do whatever he likes. Meanwhile, Jack is resentful of his dad for leaving him, he hates living in the town of Banff because he grew up in the woods, living off the land with his mother and father before she died. He’s fed up with trying to fit into the mold of the perfect son the nun insists he be, so he rides off on horseback in search of his old homestead.
Author Gil Adamson, photo Jean-Luc Bertini
Although it sounds like I’m setting up the plot of an action novel, this book is primarily character-driven. Jack’s caregiver is probably the most fascinating and surprising character of them all, and the twists that develop within her storyline are shocking. Because I haven’t read The Outlander, William was more of a mystery to me, but I want to assure people that I never once felt like I was missing out on Ridgerunner by not having read it’s predecessor-it stands strongly on its own. Jack is fun to read along with and we get his perspective most often. Although he’s extremely capable for a 12-year-old, his attempts at living on his own are humorous, one of my favourite scenes is when he brings a horse into his cabin from the cold. The ancillary characters are also well done, many of them exhibiting unique quirks that bring them into focus for the reader, making them unforgettable even though they play a smaller role in the book.
It takes place during WWI, and it highlights an often-ignored part of Canada’s shameful history, which was the internment camps they erected and imprisoned ‘alien’ men in. These prisoners, many of them completely innocent, guilty only of being an immigrant built the highway from Banff to Lake Louise, and Jack comes across these men and their guards while living in the mountains. Years ago I read a book that really opened my eyes to the challenges of living and homesteading in Canada at the beginning of the 20th century, which I still think of to this day because it makes me so thankful for our modern-day amentiies. And although Ridgerunner doesn’t get into the political reasons for these camps, it lays bare the horror of them, which is an important reminder as we travel these same roads to reach the beautiful scenery and tourism hot spots on a regular basis, especially for Calgarians like me. Canadians may be feeling smug these days as many view us as a diverse country accepting of differences, however our history is just as shameful as every other developed nation. Ridgerunner focuses on the beauty of our country, but it doesn’t shy away from the darkness either.
To read the rest of my reviews, please visit my blog:
https://ivereadthis.com/
Sign up for my newsletter here: https://ivereadthis.com/subscribe/
Or follow me on social media!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ivereadthis/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ivereadthisblog
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivereadthis
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD6E...
August 11, 2021
An absolutely wonderful book. This can be read as a stand-alone book, but you should read The Outlander to get a brief glimpse into the characters of this book & Ms. Adamson's writing style.
Each of the main characters; William, Jack, Emilia (the nun), Sampson, Wilson were well-crafted and easy to either like or dislike and, to me, proved integral to the story and I liked how they all were part of each of their lives in someway or another.
Really enjoyed the mentions of Banff and Lake Louise and all other cities in Southern Alberta & the descriptions of the Rocky Mountains with it's scenery and wildlife.
Highly recommend for anyone and everyone.
Each of the main characters; William, Jack, Emilia (the nun), Sampson, Wilson were well-crafted and easy to either like or dislike and, to me, proved integral to the story and I liked how they all were part of each of their lives in someway or another.
Really enjoyed the mentions of Banff and Lake Louise and all other cities in Southern Alberta & the descriptions of the Rocky Mountains with it's scenery and wildlife.
Highly recommend for anyone and everyone.
August 18, 2020
I picked this up because I read The Outlander and really enjoyed it, and I was interested to see what Adamson would do with her next historical work. I didn't even realize it was a sequel, though you don't have to read The Outlander first to understand and enjoy Ridgerunner.
But you should absolutely go out and get both of these books and read them right now! Because they're both excellent.
On it's face, this is wilderness/western story set mostly around Banff and Lake Louise. But it's also about burglary, parent-child relationships, what happens when love curdles, and how people respond when they're trapped. It's exciting and compelling, and I could barely put it down for the last quarter. Adamson never tells, only shows, and slowly we come to know the truth of the characters. There's a villain, although you don't realize it until well into the book, and that villain was believable and terrifying. The writing is beautiful, and even though I've been to Banff a lot, I feel like her writing would have taken me there, even if I'd never seen it. Adamson also studs her work with allusions, many of which I'm sure I missed.
Adamson also writes about the 'Austrian' prisoners of war interned in Banff in WWI. (The Canadian government rounded up immigrants and travellers from what they felt were Austrian countries, but it really amounted to any Eastern European that caught their eye.) These men were housed in the park in fairly terrible conditions and put to work on all kinds of projects, including building the highway between Banff and Lake Louise. This is a little known part of Canadian history, and I love that they made an appearance in this book.
But you should absolutely go out and get both of these books and read them right now! Because they're both excellent.
On it's face, this is wilderness/western story set mostly around Banff and Lake Louise. But it's also about burglary, parent-child relationships, what happens when love curdles, and how people respond when they're trapped. It's exciting and compelling, and I could barely put it down for the last quarter. Adamson never tells, only shows, and slowly we come to know the truth of the characters. There's a villain, although you don't realize it until well into the book, and that villain was believable and terrifying. The writing is beautiful, and even though I've been to Banff a lot, I feel like her writing would have taken me there, even if I'd never seen it. Adamson also studs her work with allusions, many of which I'm sure I missed.
Adamson also writes about the 'Austrian' prisoners of war interned in Banff in WWI. (The Canadian government rounded up immigrants and travellers from what they felt were Austrian countries, but it really amounted to any Eastern European that caught their eye.) These men were housed in the park in fairly terrible conditions and put to work on all kinds of projects, including building the highway between Banff and Lake Louise. This is a little known part of Canadian history, and I love that they made an appearance in this book.
May 15, 2020
3.5
Edit: Wanted to add a bit more of a review seeing as no one else has written one for this novel yet.
I didn't realise going into this that this was a sequel to The Outlander and I was pleasantly surprised to find this out (you don't need to have read The Outlander to enjoy this book, but I highly recommend you do as it's one of my favourite books of all time). Though this novel wasn't quite as poetic as The Outlander, I still really enjoy Gil Adamson's writing; it feels like soaking in a warm bath.
Some people might consider this book slow, but that type of thing doesn't really bother me. I thought I might as well mention it for those who are put off by leisurely pacing.
Sorry if this review reads weirdly, I haven't written anything longer than a tweet in such a long time that I can't remember exactly what the last thing I properly wrote was.
Edit: Wanted to add a bit more of a review seeing as no one else has written one for this novel yet.
I didn't realise going into this that this was a sequel to The Outlander and I was pleasantly surprised to find this out (you don't need to have read The Outlander to enjoy this book, but I highly recommend you do as it's one of my favourite books of all time). Though this novel wasn't quite as poetic as The Outlander, I still really enjoy Gil Adamson's writing; it feels like soaking in a warm bath.
Some people might consider this book slow, but that type of thing doesn't really bother me. I thought I might as well mention it for those who are put off by leisurely pacing.
Sorry if this review reads weirdly, I haven't written anything longer than a tweet in such a long time that I can't remember exactly what the last thing I properly wrote was.
March 14, 2023
This books was a slow climb to an explosive finish. Everyone thought they knew what was best for young Jack after his mother died in their remote cabin. His dad was the ridgerunner, an outlaw causing havoc and stealing to look after his boy. He lived with an old nun who cared for him in his parents absence until he followed his parents footsteps and set out for the cabin. With the kindness of other rough individuals he discovered how capable he was to live in the wilderness.
I am looking forward to meeting the author at one book one brant at the end of March.
I am looking forward to meeting the author at one book one brant at the end of March.
June 26, 2021
had to read this for school and if i hadn't i probably would have given up after 50 pages due to sheer boredom. this book is very slow and didn't hook me at all, but the skillful and cinematic writing would have merited at least 3 stars if not for the way this book treated its female characters.
oh boy. the most prominent female character in this book is a mentally unstable, murderous, childless nun who commits suicide at the end of the story. at first, i thought she was going to be a complex and compelling character, and she was my favourite, maybe just because i was desperate for an interesting woman in this book. but guess what? turns out she is completely irredeemable because she murdered the too-good-for-this-world mother of the main character (the boy she is the caretaker of for most of the book) in a fit of jealous rage over wanting a child. and then she goes crazy and kills herself! wow! never mind the fact that the nun's only history of killing people before this is poisoning abusers and terminally ill patients who were in a lot of pain. never mind the fact that the boy's father is also a career criminal and it could be, like, fun to explore the complexities of the fact that both of his caretakers are arguably unfit to take care of him by societal standards but also both love him and would do anything for him. fuck moral ambiguity, she's evil and every male character who said she was insane and 100% unfit to be a caretaker was right and now she's dead and no one will miss her!
the second most prominent female character in this book is the aforementioned too-good-for-this-world mother poisoned in the aforementioned fit of jealous rage over her motherhood. she's dead! and was ALSO mentally unstable in life! incredible! and the third (and last) prominent female character is a very boring housewife who could have been removed without changing the book much at all. but she survives, so points for that i guess.
full disclosure that i haven't read the outlander, which i've heard is good and also has the mother as the main character who presumably has complex traits that readers of that book would know about going into this one. but this book is allegedly supposed to stand on its own so i feel fair in critiquing it. i'm genuinely shocked that this was written by a woman in the year of our lord 2020.
oh boy. the most prominent female character in this book is a mentally unstable, murderous, childless nun who commits suicide at the end of the story. at first, i thought she was going to be a complex and compelling character, and she was my favourite, maybe just because i was desperate for an interesting woman in this book. but guess what? turns out she is completely irredeemable because she murdered the too-good-for-this-world mother of the main character (the boy she is the caretaker of for most of the book) in a fit of jealous rage over wanting a child. and then she goes crazy and kills herself! wow! never mind the fact that the nun's only history of killing people before this is poisoning abusers and terminally ill patients who were in a lot of pain. never mind the fact that the boy's father is also a career criminal and it could be, like, fun to explore the complexities of the fact that both of his caretakers are arguably unfit to take care of him by societal standards but also both love him and would do anything for him. fuck moral ambiguity, she's evil and every male character who said she was insane and 100% unfit to be a caretaker was right and now she's dead and no one will miss her!
the second most prominent female character in this book is the aforementioned too-good-for-this-world mother poisoned in the aforementioned fit of jealous rage over her motherhood. she's dead! and was ALSO mentally unstable in life! incredible! and the third (and last) prominent female character is a very boring housewife who could have been removed without changing the book much at all. but she survives, so points for that i guess.
full disclosure that i haven't read the outlander, which i've heard is good and also has the mother as the main character who presumably has complex traits that readers of that book would know about going into this one. but this book is allegedly supposed to stand on its own so i feel fair in critiquing it. i'm genuinely shocked that this was written by a woman in the year of our lord 2020.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2022
There is a great story in this book with interesting characters and solid writing. Unfortunately, I think the editing was lacking. I found the story often to be rambling and repetitive. For example, we are told on four separate occasions that Lake Louise was originally named Laggan. Also, many of the chapters felt like short stories that ended abruptly. What a pity, this could have been a hell of a good book. 3 stars.
January 3, 2021
Well - if you like a book where nothing really happens for most of the book - this is the book for you. That being said- I loved the character of Jack Bolton and think the book should have been named for him and not his father. Very slow paced and very much about character development- but I would liked it. Giller prize nominee.
November 1, 2020
Not quite as absorbing as The Outlander but still a good read.
December 4, 2023
The plot of this Native American tale is confusing and it took me two attempts to read it. The story is about a young boy Jack Boulton who ends up being fostered by a Catholic nun Sister Beatrice in her mountain home. Jack’s mother had passed away and his father William is a fugitive that runs the mountains looking for something he never finds. Hence the title The Ridgerunner. All three characters have unfulfilled relationships, with Beatrice and Jack waiting for their relationship to implode, and William showing up from time to time only to disappoint his son yet again. Having been a foster parent, the emotions described by the author are dead on when she writes “but Jack Bolton knew the hard truth of things: he was as parentless as she was childless, and there was no remedy for either of them.”
May 27, 2022
I would have DNFed on chapter 5 if it wasn’t our book club pick for Canadian Authors.
The only reason I didn’t give it 1 star is because the writing is good. It is just SOOOO SLOOOW. Nothing good happens until almost 300 pages in!! It took me almost 2 months to read this… that says it all.
The only reason I didn’t give it 1 star is because the writing is good. It is just SOOOO SLOOOW. Nothing good happens until almost 300 pages in!! It took me almost 2 months to read this… that says it all.
August 1, 2021
A wonderfully written story about a bunch of loners, against the mostly untamed BC wilderness. World War I is still in progress, young men are dead or returning home damaged, and prison camps are all around Banff and Laggan (Lake Louise), with rich tourists enjoying the beauty and amenities at Banff.
Young Jack Boulton, son of the wonderful Mary Boulton from Outlander, is now motherless, and missing and resentful of his absent father, William Moreland, the Ridgerunner. Jack is living with a nun intent on “civilizing” the boy, while William is back to his thieving ways, intending to amass enough money to provide Jack with the ability to choose his own path in life. Around them are two men, Samson Beaver, a former deputy of Bass Reeves, and now neighbour in the hills to the secretive Boultons, and an irascible forest guide and neighbour in town to the nun.
The writing is quiet, poetic and wonderful at evoking the sounds of a forest night, or hooves on a road, or the grunts of a bear. Author Gil Adamson alternates chapters amongst characters, we also occasionally see the action from others' perspectives:
-Jack in town with his grief and claustrophobia in the nun’s house
-Moreland travelling between towns on his quest for cash
-The nun’s increasingly controlling behaviour and spiralling thoughts
-Samson’s perspectives on the others
In each case, Adamson expertly handles each character's control over their situations, and how they handle being alone.
Though it started a little slowly, the story grabbed me and kept me reading avidly.
Young Jack Boulton, son of the wonderful Mary Boulton from Outlander, is now motherless, and missing and resentful of his absent father, William Moreland, the Ridgerunner. Jack is living with a nun intent on “civilizing” the boy, while William is back to his thieving ways, intending to amass enough money to provide Jack with the ability to choose his own path in life. Around them are two men, Samson Beaver, a former deputy of Bass Reeves, and now neighbour in the hills to the secretive Boultons, and an irascible forest guide and neighbour in town to the nun.
The writing is quiet, poetic and wonderful at evoking the sounds of a forest night, or hooves on a road, or the grunts of a bear. Author Gil Adamson alternates chapters amongst characters, we also occasionally see the action from others' perspectives:
-Jack in town with his grief and claustrophobia in the nun’s house
-Moreland travelling between towns on his quest for cash
-The nun’s increasingly controlling behaviour and spiralling thoughts
-Samson’s perspectives on the others
In each case, Adamson expertly handles each character's control over their situations, and how they handle being alone.
Though it started a little slowly, the story grabbed me and kept me reading avidly.
November 5, 2020
This is sort of a sequel to The Outlander, which I read years ago , but it certainly stands alone. This book picks up about thirteen years after the previous book, and follows the son of William Moreland and Mary Boulton. Apparently the author was intrigued by the musing of a fan who wondered what these two unique characters would be like as parents, and after about ten years, this delightful story is the result.
After the death of his mother, twelve year old Jack Boulton is left in the care of an aging nun in Banff, while his father goes on a crime spree through Alberta, BC and Montana in order to obtain sufficient money to give his son a secure future. William Moreland, aka the Ridgerunner, has a criminal past, but has long been living the quiet life of a hermit in the Rockies. Jack is unhappy living the confined and regimented life Sister Beatrice has in mind for him, and runs away to his former home in the mountains, taking something of value to the nun with him, and causing her to slowly unravel and reveal her surprising past.
As with her previous novel, Gil Adamson has created some wonderfully complex and decidedly quirky characters. I would say this is her true strength as a writer. She has a very dark and brooding style, which can move a bit slowly at times, but the pace picks up at the end. Her descriptions of the mountain scenery, and the way of life are excellent, and I have to commend her for the research she has done for this novel...something that was lacking in the previous one. This story takes some surprising twists and turns that I was not expecting at all, and things that I thought were unnecessary ramblings turned out to be essential to the story when everything was finally tied together. All the while WWI is simmering in the background. While the war is not a huge focus in the story given the remoteness of the setting from the scene of the conflict, it's always present, and we do learn about a little discussed aspect of the war, that being the internment of "enemy aliens" in Canada, and their role in the development of Banff National Park. The history nerd in me always appreciates a good history lesson. My only complaint is that the story didn't really suck me in until nearly the end.
This story ends with a satisfying epilogue which tells us how some of the characters are doing ten or so years down the road. It makes me wonder if there is another story left in the lives of these great characters. If so, I hope it doesn't take the author another ten years to tell it.
After the death of his mother, twelve year old Jack Boulton is left in the care of an aging nun in Banff, while his father goes on a crime spree through Alberta, BC and Montana in order to obtain sufficient money to give his son a secure future. William Moreland, aka the Ridgerunner, has a criminal past, but has long been living the quiet life of a hermit in the Rockies. Jack is unhappy living the confined and regimented life Sister Beatrice has in mind for him, and runs away to his former home in the mountains, taking something of value to the nun with him, and causing her to slowly unravel and reveal her surprising past.
As with her previous novel, Gil Adamson has created some wonderfully complex and decidedly quirky characters. I would say this is her true strength as a writer. She has a very dark and brooding style, which can move a bit slowly at times, but the pace picks up at the end. Her descriptions of the mountain scenery, and the way of life are excellent, and I have to commend her for the research she has done for this novel...something that was lacking in the previous one. This story takes some surprising twists and turns that I was not expecting at all, and things that I thought were unnecessary ramblings turned out to be essential to the story when everything was finally tied together. All the while WWI is simmering in the background. While the war is not a huge focus in the story given the remoteness of the setting from the scene of the conflict, it's always present, and we do learn about a little discussed aspect of the war, that being the internment of "enemy aliens" in Canada, and their role in the development of Banff National Park. The history nerd in me always appreciates a good history lesson. My only complaint is that the story didn't really suck me in until nearly the end.
This story ends with a satisfying epilogue which tells us how some of the characters are doing ten or so years down the road. It makes me wonder if there is another story left in the lives of these great characters. If so, I hope it doesn't take the author another ten years to tell it.
August 5, 2022
There is a rhythm and richness in the writing of Gil Adamson that puts the reader into the setting and story of Ridgerunner. This is a book to be savoured as the words on the page deliver a great story, vivid characters and an evocative description of the Bow Valley setting in 1917 from Banff to what we now know as Lake Louise. I loved the ending, believable and satisfying.
August 1, 2020
Ridgerunner was worth the wait. I read Adamson's book The Outlander when it came out, and realized shortly into Ridgerunner that these were some of the same characters portrayed years later. Ridgerunner is a story of family, survival and secrets all set in the Canadian west near the end of World War One. Both books are stand alone novels with compelling characterization, gripping action and unexpected observations, with even minor characters being memorable and finely drawn. There is a central question of what makes a life worthwhile that Adamson explores throughout the novel. The ending is satisfying and manages to surprise. I would recommend this to friends and students alike.
May 16, 2023
A beautifully written story with unique and fascinating characters. This book wasn’t on my radar but the Giller prize/shortlist rarely disappoints me so I thought it was worth a try. I’m so glad that I found the novel! (Of note, I did not read Outlander but this stood on its own.)
April 6, 2021
This is a very unusual book that may especially appeal to any who have ever wanted to escape to the wilderness from the claustrophobia of living cheek by jowl with other humans in a town or city. In this case the wilderness is BC near Banff in 1917. The book has a strange set of characters. First is the Ridgerunner, William Moreland, a notorious thief who drifts from Montana to BC and Alberta. He scouts out likely sources of whatever he needs, but especially funds from the cash box of a hotel to solitary camps. His stealing is not only to support his lifestyle but to amass sufficient cash to secure the future of his son, Jack Boulton. Throughout the book hints about the mysterious death of Jack’s mother twig our attention.
Then there is Sister Beatrice to whom William Moreland has entrusted his son Jack. Why and how did she become a nun who now has no apparent connection with organized religion. Her religion seems to be the medicines and potions she steeps. Her rigidity toward Jack by keeping him cloistered in a rambling old mansion gradually drives him to abandon her and flee to his family’s cabin deep in the woods. She is left bereft and unhinged by his departure.
Near to the family cabin lives a savvy Indian who keeps watch over Jack. Then In Banff we have an irascible outfitter who has been entrusted with Jack’s belongings and an old gun.
Ridgerunner weaves together the story of Jack with the father’s escapades and the increasing madness of the nun. As the story develops things become much tenser and more sinister.
Then there is Sister Beatrice to whom William Moreland has entrusted his son Jack. Why and how did she become a nun who now has no apparent connection with organized religion. Her religion seems to be the medicines and potions she steeps. Her rigidity toward Jack by keeping him cloistered in a rambling old mansion gradually drives him to abandon her and flee to his family’s cabin deep in the woods. She is left bereft and unhinged by his departure.
Near to the family cabin lives a savvy Indian who keeps watch over Jack. Then In Banff we have an irascible outfitter who has been entrusted with Jack’s belongings and an old gun.
Ridgerunner weaves together the story of Jack with the father’s escapades and the increasing madness of the nun. As the story develops things become much tenser and more sinister.
July 3, 2022
Described in the blurb as "part literary Western and part historical mystery", Ridgerunner was a finalist for the 2020 Giller Prize, and my pick for winner of that prestigious award.
Set in late 1917 in western Canada and Montana, it focuses on 12-year-old Jack Boulton whose father is the infamous ridgerunner, a notorious thief. This a great story with lots of history and humour. I marvelled at the contrast between the wilderness (and wildness) in western Canada while the rest of North America was occupied with the war in Europe.
Read this even if you aren't a fan of westerns. You won't regret it.
Set in late 1917 in western Canada and Montana, it focuses on 12-year-old Jack Boulton whose father is the infamous ridgerunner, a notorious thief. This a great story with lots of history and humour. I marvelled at the contrast between the wilderness (and wildness) in western Canada while the rest of North America was occupied with the war in Europe.
Read this even if you aren't a fan of westerns. You won't regret it.
October 1, 2022
This is a really, really good book and exactly my cup of tea. It's a four and half stars. Realistic historical fiction set in Canada. Ridgerunner is the story of a father and son living in the Crow's Nest Pass area on the BC-Alberta border during the First World War. Life was so different then and so hard. The boy's mother has died and the father takes it upon himself to become a professional thief to create a nest-egg of sorts for his son. The son has been left in the care of a former nun who proves to be mentally unstable and from whom he eventually escapes. The supporting characters of this saga are just as beautifully rendered as the father and son. I must confess that I apparently read the prequel to this wonderful book in 2009 and cannot remember a thing about it! I wrote a very short review so that doesn't help. I intend to reread The Outlander while Ridgerunner is still fresh in my, obviously, leaky brain.
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