Eighteenth century exiled Scotsman Jamie Fraser and his
spitfire 20th century physician/wife Claire return for our
enjoyment in what may be the most intense book of the
Outlander Series yet.
The year is 1772 and a revolution is brewing like gunpowder
tea in America. Jamie, Claire, Brianna and Roger are all
busily ensconced in their homes at Fraser Ridge, North
Carolina, when Governor Martin calls upon Jamie to assist
him with a growing threat. Jamie is torn between his honor
and the survival of his family, for due to their time-
traveling ability, the Frasers know a horrifying secret --
in a little over three years, according to an article in
the Wilmington Gazette, the Frasers will all perish due to
a horrible fire. Yet, how can a family built on honor and
integrity abandon anyone in need?
Life goes on, with its good days and bad. Jamie and Roger
continue to work on their houses and their missions for the
governor. While they're working with the Indians and
against the rebel rousers, Claire seeks to further her
medical abilities in a pre-modern world. She continues both
in practical applications with the tools and herbs she has
on hand, and in the creation of new and innovative ways to
heal. Brianna is no slouch to her genetic inheritance
either. While her mother works to pioneer medicine,
Brianna's inventions work in a more mechanical, but equally
satisfying manner.
When Claire encounters more travelers of time, the plot
thickens nicely. No matter what abductions or rough patches
life has to throw them, the Frasers manage to handle it
all, and with a love that truly transcends time. However,
when America's Revolution heats up and catches them in its
fiery midst with the deathly February 13, 1776, looming
overhead, will it be enough?
Diana Gabaldon remains the queen of time-travel
literature with her latest installment. Eccentric
characters, as well as those near and dear to the reader's
heart, make the story sing. That perfect love Jamie and
Claire have for one another, while idealistic, gets us
through the tough, ugly times with them, allowing us to
keep on turning the pages. Gabaldon manages to throw in
enough TNT in physical chemistry to blow emotions
satisfyingly sky high while her villains are all too human,
adding even more suspense to the mix. Best of all is the
way she uses Claire, Brianna and others, to further advance
technology on things the reader takes for granted in the
here and now. Her conventions are unique and her story
anything but boring. A very satisfying, if very long, read.
The year is 1772, and on the eve of the American Revolution,
the long fuse of rebellion has already been lit. Men lie
dead in the streets of Boston, and in the backwoods of North
Carolina, isolated cabins burn in the forest.
With chaos brewing, the governor calls upon Jamie Fraser to
unite the backcountry and safeguard the colony for King and
Crown. But from his wife Jamie knows that three years hence
the shot heard round the world will be fired, and the result
will be independence — with those loyal to the King either
dead or in exile. And there is also the matter of a tiny
clipping from The Wilmington Gazette, dated 1776,
which reports Jamie’s death, along with his kin. For once,
he hopes, his time-traveling family may be wrong about the
future.