Ghostroad

White's ( A History of Irish Fairies ) engrossing tale of 1880s Wyoming takes a woman beyond the bounds of society into outlawry and madness. At 18, Helen, irked by the tidiness of her comfortable life in Wales, persuades Geoffrey, only 17, to marry her and run away to America. Although backed with funds stolen from Helen's father, her veterinary skills and his talent for drilling wells, their adventure sours: Geoffrey gradually becomes withdrawn and embittered while Helen combats his indifference by taking lovers. During a fight, Helen shoots Geoffrey and, hunted by a posse, learns the severe distinction between rejecting human society and being banished from it. Riding through the stark Western landscape, she relives her failed marriage through fantasy, even confronting her husband in a shoot-out, defeating him in the ``fair fight'' they never had in reality. White's neutral voice contributes to the power of the tale: theft, adultery and murder are neither condemned nor excused, but described via Helen's complex and driven personality. (Dec.)