ALL BOOKS OPEN FOR DISCUSSION



The re-kilt of Voyager has begun! Post any thoughts you'd like about the re-kilt that contain any topics that are not in Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, or Voyager here. Thanks!

In Chapter 7 Frank is telling Claire that she is fortunate to know what she wants in life. He tells her that he wishes that he had that passion.
He squeezed my hand gently and let go, turning to reach behind him for one of the books on the table.
It was one of his references Woodhill's Patriots a series of profiles of America's Founding Fathers.
*snip* (Laying his hand on the book, Frank says )"These people were like that. The ones who cared so terribly much--enough to risk everything, enough to change and do things. Most people aren't like that, you know. It isn't that they don't care, but they don't care so greatly."

Do you think that Jamie and Claire were mentioned in that book?
If they were, do you think that perhaps Frank was encouraging Claire to become a doctor so that she was better prepared for when she did travel back in time again?

oooo... I got a *shiver* thinking about that quote, but not so much about Jamie and Claire, but about how FRANK might have influenced the American Revolution, deciding in some way to "care enough" when he realized Brianna would journey back. Frank's influence wasn't to be direct but through how he trained and schooled his daughter. I think he recognizes something in those books that tips him off about Brianna and her rifle design.


pssst... you are looking good in blue!

That's what I was wondering. I know that there are other times that makes one think Frank knew that Claire and Brianna went back in time, but him choosing that particular book...


BTW... Thanks Laura. Blue is my new favourite colour!!!

Chapter 4, The Dunbonnet.

I know that we later learn how Jenny nursed Jamie to health after his arduous wagon trip from Culloden with a severe leg injury. I don't think that Jenny cared for Jamie in the cave. Does anyone recall how Jamie transitions from that experience to living in the cave? Did Jamie stay in the priest hole?

Later, we know that at least on the Ridge, they make blood sausage. I am a little surprised that, given the scarcity of food, Jamie does not carry a skin, cleaned intestines, or other vessel to capture the blood from his kills (what he doesn't drink) for later processing. Maybe DG did not become aware of this food source until later?

As for this life being "unsustainable", Jamie did visit home once a month and he had frequent visitors to the cave. We learn a little later that he had reading material. We also learn that he later shared the books that he read (and committed to memory) with the men at Ardsmuir. And, their favorite was Robinson Crusoe (published 1719), a tale of a solitary shipwrecked sailor.

I'm curious about why Frank had one of the copies of the Lexington Alarm in their house in Boston, too. Claire (in ABOSAA) remembers it hanging in their hallway while she herself makes a fair copy to pass along after Jamie receives it in the post. Frank seems to have become very interested in the American Revolution at some point after moving to Boston, although we don't know his specialty pre-Boston, except his interest in his own family's history during Culloden. Hmmm.....

Having read the scene with the book about the American Revolution on or around July 4th and also watching 1776 (love that movie and sharing it with the kids for the first time), I made note of the book and the men referred to. I doubt that Claire and Jamie were mentioned by name in it (the historian who sent Roger Lord Melton's journal described Jamie as "not an important historical character"), but Frank may have had some knowledge of their being around at the time. Only more important facts were likely to get into the book, but if Frank did more research, he could have found journals or other documents that mentioned them by name. That seems more likely to me.

Very interesting observations on how Frank may have indirectly affected the Revolution. It certainly sounds like he developed an interest in that time/place in history after they moved to Boston (not surprising since they were in Boston, after all).

Just commented over at the Chapter 12 thread and wanted to mention that in that chapter Lord John (and the prisoners and guards at Ardsmuir) were all out in the rain. At some point, I was discussing with Laura and probably some other people about how it seems like Lord John is very frequently out in bad weather and getting soaked, so I thought I should mention this instance and I wasn't sure where to put it. Because it refers to books that come after Voyager, but happened in this book, I put it here, but let me know if it should be on a different thread (or just move it to wherever it should be).

Having commented on Chapter 28, I noted that Fergus said he earlier introduced Ian's older brothers to the entertainments at the brothel and now considered Ian old enough because their father wouldn't do it. That made me think of Lord John in Echo taking William and his friend to the brothel after finding them flipping through that book about the charms of various ladies.

abl, great catch. I forgot about that. I found that funny given LJs own personal preferences in this matter.

Well, LJ did know the madame there (Nessie). That seemed to surprise (impress? ) William, too.

I totally missed the significance of the book Frank touched when talking to Claire! I also am anxious to hear the rest of Frank's letter to Brianna at the end of Echo. I think Frank possible new something significant because of the way he tried prepare Bree.

Just commented in the thread for Chapter 46 We Meet a Porpoise. The surgeon from the Porpoise who died, was named Dr. Hunter. Any relation to Denny Hunter (whom we meet in Echo) or his uncle Dr. William Hunter who shows up in Custom of the Army (I think) and is mentioned in Echo? Hunter seems to be a popular name for doctors, in an case.


New edit: Or was that John Hunter? Isn't it John Hunter who appears in both Custom of the Army and Scottish Prisoner? Too many Dr. Hunters for me to keep up with.

When I typed up my summary of Chapter 55 - Ishmael, I had added this note for the spoiler thread and then forgot to post it this morning (I was posting and running and I'm short on time now too). But, thanks to a reminder from repoman here it is:

Jamie is described as using bad language in Chinese, French and Gaelic before tapering off to “milder English”. This is similar to how Lord John describes Hal’s cursing in Scottish Prisoner (German means particularly bad, if I remember correctly). I thought the descriptions were kind of amusing and the similarity quite interesting.

Also, as repoman pointed out (thanks for reminding me of things that have leaked out of my memory!), we also see Ishmael in Plague of Zombies, which takes place several years before this part of Voyager (though I forget how many years). I haven't noticed anything yet in my reading in Voyager that indicates Ishmael has lost a toe, but I know there is more to come. Interesting that Jamie and Claire have now met someone who met Lord John years earlier.


[Oh, and I just edited my message above this, in case anyone knows about the various Dr. Hunters and what their first names may be.]

Just commented on the Masque of the Red Death chapter and I noticed a comment about the owners of "Twelvetrees" which is a Jamaican plantation. That's interesting in light of John meeting a couple of Twelvetrees at a plantation there in Plague of Zombies. Apparently, the Twelvetrees themselves are no longer there, for whatever reason. I hadn't remembered at all that Twelvetrees was mentioned in this book even though the various Twelvetrees relatives are everywhere in the Lord John books.