Books with characters who are outcasts or pariahs suffering serious social ostracism within their communities

[Rainbowheart]

Hi guys,

I found the Fiction Books With Harshly Judged Characters list and was looking for more books with this general theme.

Something along the lines of The Scarlet Letter. The character is an outcast or pariah within his or her community. He or she should suffer not just dislike or bullying by one or two characters, but serious social ostracism by the entire group.

It can be a family that is shunned by the neighbors, a student who is shunned by the entire school, for any reason. A character may have committed a crime, had an illegitimate child, is the child of a prostitute, is gay in an unforgiving time or place, etc. Whatever the reason, some sort of social stigma should be attached to the shunning.

Thanks mucho for any suggestions!

[Len]

Historical novel from Roman Britain but it probably still counts: Outcast by Rosemary Sutcliff.

[Rainbowheart]

Thanks, Len! Outcast is a great example.

[...cats?]

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

[Rainbowheart]

Thank you, cats!

[Len]

Star Man's Son, 2250 A.D. Set in a post nuclear holocaust Earth. Teenager ostracized by his group for his mutations caused by radiation.

[Pamela]

The Country of the Kind Note that this is available as a book, but is a short story.

[Rainbowheart]

Thanks, guys!

[Pamela]

The Moorchild

[Isabel (kittiwake)]

The Witch's Daughter by Nina Bawden.

[Rainbowheart]

Awesome, thanks guys!

[Adele]

I don't know if Gathering Blue counts - main character is definitely shunned and outcast, but then she also has a special talent that is valued.

[Rainbowheart]

Yes, absolutely. Gathering Blue is a great example. Thanks, Adele!

[Penny]

The Raging Quiet by Sherryl Jordan - he's shunned because he's deaf and the girl who befriends him is also shunned because she's seen as different too

[Rainbowheart]

Awesome, thanks Penny! The Raging Quiet is a perfect example.