The novel takes place in an alternate timeline where the United States experienced a devastating flu pandemic in the 1830s.

North read books such as Nell Painter's Exodusters to better understand the real-world history of the West before writing the novel.

[2][3] Maureen Corrigan, writing for NPR, praised the book as a "[...] smart adventure tale".

[2] Kirkus Reviews gave credit to the novel for "[...earning] its place in the growing canon of fiction that subverts the Western genre [...]".

[4] On January 26, 2021, it was announced that Outlawed would be adapted for television by A24 and Amy Adams' Bond Group Entertainment.