CULTURE EDITION
AMY LIPTROT THE OUTRUN This award-winning memoir has recently been transformed into a movie, starring Saoirse Ronan in the title role, which has already received critical acclaim. Though Hollywood’s version will definitely be worth a trip to the big screen, this is one of those occasions when it’s worth sinking into the beautifully written tale before watching the film. The book recounts the life of Orkney-born Amy, who as a young teenager is unable to appreciate the natural beauty of her island home and is desperate to escape her challenging parents. She sets out for the bright lights of London to forge her own path and form her own identity. Amy shares an unabashed tale of her anguish and self-inflicted destruction as she succumbs to all kinds of addictions, exposed to the full, unrelenting glare of the city’s hedonistic way of life. After a low point and time in rehab, she slowly realises the isolation her home offers might help heal her. Amy gets a job counting rare corncrakes for a bird charity and retreats into total solitude, alone with the weather, the wild seas and her wind-whipped thoughts. The writing is hauntingly poetic: a stunning, memorable account of recovery and how nature can heal even those who feel they are beyond saving. She slowly realises that the isolation her home offers might help heal her
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CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2024 29
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