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The meaning and message of Islam has been corrupted and perverted by a particularly virulent strain...
A Family Chosen (Volume 2): The Protectors and Barrettis
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Since all of my series cross over with one another, I've gotten many requests to bundle my...
A Family Chosen (Volume 3): The Protectors and Barrettis
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Since all of my series cross over with one another, I've gotten many requests to bundle my...
The Voynich Manuscript: The World's Most Mysterious and Esoteric Codex
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Daughters of the Winter Queen
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From the author of The Rival Queens, a lively group biography of Elizabeth Stuart, the Winter Queen,...
Crimes of the Century: Ripper Killers
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The Captain Class: The Hidden Force That Creates the World's Greatest Teams
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From the founding editor of The Wall Street Journal's sports section comes a bold new theory of...
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The novel is set in two different time periods, the first the aftermath of the Second World War, the second during the 1740s and the build up to the battle of Culloden. One of the strengths of this book, is that Diana Gabaldon has researched the historical settings of this novel well, and paints a fantastic image of the times for the reader. With a background in the study of history, I am normally the first to start picking faults in the historiography of a story, however in this case, I was unable to, and instead able to relax into the plot line itself. The novel also encouraged me to carry out further research into Scotland in the 1740s and even visit the Culloden battlefield (and of course the Fraser stone).
The characters in the novel are well thought out and all have their faults as well as strengths (which in my eyes makes them more believable). Clare, the main character is a strong willed and independent woman, however can be outspoken before her time. Jamie is a character that see through Clare’s eyes and as such, we understand why she falls in love with him, is at times held by the constraints about how men and women should act in marriage during the 1740s, and struggles to cope with Clare’s independence.
As readers we are led through a story of 1740s clan culture in Scotland (including the brutal behaviour of the British officer Jack Randall), as well as the emerging love story between Jamie and Clare. This is ultimately a love story, but sexual scenes are much more subtle in text than the dramatisation of the TV series. As is often the case with books that have been dramatised onto the screen, we also get a much deeper insight into the feelings and emotions of a character, which often struggles to translate onto screen.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and eagerly await picking up the sequel to find out what will happen next to Clare, Jamie and Frank.