Out of the woods cover

Out of the woods

by Chris Offutt

The eight new stories in Out of the Woods mark Offutt's return to the form in which he first displayed his astonishing talent. In "Tough People," luck wins out over love in an unconventional prizefight. In "Barred Owl," when a bird strays too far from home and fatally loses its way, the Kentuckian who covets its pelt meets an identical fate. In "Target Practice," a man can't earn his father's respect until he shoots him with a rifle. These are stories of gravediggers and drifters, gamblers and truck drivers a long way from home, tales so full of hard edges that they can't help but tell some hard truths.

More by Chris Offutt

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?