The Outcast

May 20, 2013
This contemporary reworking of The Scarlet Letter centers on the struggles, shame, sin, and strength of Rachel Stoltzfus. Born into an Old Order Mennonite community in Pennsylvania, Rachel moves to the Copper Creek community in Tennessee to help her sister Leah and brother-in-law Tobias with their new baby boy. Shortly after her move, Rachel's life takes an unexpected turn as she is forced to deal with her own pregnancy. Feeling morally trapped, she declines to ask for forgiveness and disclose the name of her child's father, and is judged harshly by residents of Copper Creek and her own family. She is torn between a life she has always known and her desire to separate herself from a world that no longer accepts her. As Rachel makes an effort to rise above her circumstances and their complications, including her child's health issues, Petersheim's emotional story leaves readers intrigued by the purity of Rachel's strong will, resilience, and loyalty. Agent: Wes Yoder, Ambassador Agency.

Starred review from June 15, 2013

Rachel Stoltzfus has led a contented life among her Old Order Mennonite community. But when she becomes pregnant and refuses to reveal the identity of the father, the sect shuns her, and the bishop, who is Rachel's brother-in-law and who has secrets of his own, forces her to leave. VERDICT Petsheim makes an outstanding debut with this fresh and inspirational retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. Well-drawn characters and good, old-fashioned storytelling combine in an excellent choice for Nancy Mehl's readers.

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