Finally!
30. Diana Gabaldon, Dragonfly in Amber
After the events of Outlander, Claire Fraser is back in the present day and has been living in England with her husband Frank and daughter Brianna. When Frank dies, Claire takes 20-year-old Brianna to Scotland, finally able and ready to reveal the secrets of her past. With the help and support of Oxford historian Roger Wakefield (a good-looking young man with eyes for Brianna), Claire tells the story of how she mysteriously traveled back in time to 1743, met Highlander Jamie Fraser, and fell in love. The bulk of the book deals with Claire and Jamie’s determination to stop Charles Stuart from invading England. Knowing that his rebellion is doomed to failure, Claire desperately wants to prevent the tragedy of Culloden - but the interventions of countless people keep the course of history twisting and turning. From Charles Stuart’s court in Paris to the hills of rural Scotland, Dragonfly in Amber is an epic story of history, war, magic, grief, betrayal, and timeless love.
It took me forever to finish this book! At least, it felt like forever, although apparently the actual elapsed time was about a week. Maybe I’ve gotten too used to reading short books at a fast pace, and now I have a lower tolerance for long books. I’ll have to work on my endurance! But anyway, its length is really the only complaint I have about this book. One very good thing about it is that, although you have to be familiar with the events of Outlander to understand what’s going on, Gabaldon always reminds you of them at the crucial moments. The characters are as well-drawn and delightful as ever, and I especially liked the relationship between Claire and Jamie. I also really liked the development of Jack Randall’s character - it surprised me, but I was definitely interested. So far, I think this series is very good, and I plan to continue with it…but maybe I’ll wait a while before making the attempt!