Outlaw

When Anders realizes that his parents are intending to divorce, he abandons them and his sisters and makes for the woods. There, he takes possession of a house that once belonged to Dobbel-Aksel, who hanged himself from the branches of a birch tree many years ago. He is determined to put his former life behind him and live the life of a backwoodsman. But he is not left alone for long, as he soon has a visitor, Hilmar, a mystery man who emerges from the depths of the forest. After Hilmar, more and more people begin to seek him out in his hideaway. The world outside can no longer be denied. What is he going to do for love? And how ought he to respond when Hilmar urges him to accompany him on a hazardous mission? Anders soon realizes that life in the wilds is very different from the way he had imagined it – and much more dangerous.

Outlaw was awarded the Norwegian Critics’ Prize for best children and youths’ book in 2006. The jury has the following assessment:

“Reading Hovland is like walking through a thick forest, without knowing where it will end, or what awaits one. Hovland creates new landscapes and reveals sunlit clearings within – filled with mysteries and poetry. Hovland is awarded the prize for having written the defiant education novel Outlaw, which will henceforth be considered a classic."

Samlaget 2006