TITLE: An Echo in the BoneAUTHOR: Diana Gabaldon
STARTED: February 26, 2010
FINISHED: April 1, 2010
PAGES: 822
GENRE: Fiction
FIRST SENTENCE: The body is amazingly plastic.
SUMMARY: [From Amazon.com
] Jamie Fraser, former Jacobite and reluctant rebel, is already certain of three things about the American rebellion: The Americans will win, fighting on the side of victory is no guarantee of survival, and he’d rather die than have to face his illegitimate son–a young lieutenant in the British army–across the barrel of a gun.Claire Randall knows that the Americans will win, too, but not what the ultimate price may be. That price won’t include Jamie’s life or his happiness, though–not if she has anything to say about it.
Meanwhile, in the relative safety of the twentieth century, Jamie and Claire’s daughter, Brianna, and her husband, Roger MacKenzie, have resettled in a historic Scottish home where, across a chasm of two centuries, the unfolding drama of Brianna’s parents’ story comes to life through Claire’s letters. The fragile pages reveal Claire’s love for battle-scarred Jamie Fraser and their flight from North Carolina to the high seas, where they encounter privateers and ocean battles–as Brianna and Roger search for clues not only to Claire’s fate but to their own. Because the future of the MacKenzie family in the Highlands is mysteriously, irrevocably, and intimately entwined with life and death in war-torn colonial America.
THOUGHTS: This is the best book I've read in the Outlander series in a long time. Granted, I love ALL the books in the series, but this one was particularly good. While it does not have the exact same perfectness that is Outlander itself, An Echo in the Bone delivered a hearty dose of plain ol' good comfort reading. Maybe it was the setting, maybe it was the characters, maybe it was the writing or a combination there of, whatever it was Gabaldon kept me insanely happy for the whole book.
My mom tends to dislike these books because, as she puts it, "Claire and Jaime are always running into drama." But you know what, that's why it works for me. There is something intensely visceral about this series that speaks to me. The last few books in the series have been "good," but Echo adds something new to the mix. For the first time that I can recall, Gabaldon allows characters other than Claire to first-person narrate. I loved it. Young Ian may just be my new favorite fictional character. He is strong, intellectual, and just a little bit wild - and it makes me want to know him. By allowing the reader to get into other character's mind, the series has taken on a new richness and completeness that I never knew was missing. I will be sorely disappointed if Gabaldon removes that facet from future books in this series.
Also, there was a dark intensity to this book that created a sense of foreboding (and made me upset when the book was over because, gosh darnit, I wasn't ready for it to end). Part of me feels that is because the American Revolution is heavily (HEAVILY) influential to the plot. I'm and Am. Rev. nut - books set in that time make me bouncy and giddy. Gabaldon gets it right - the sounds, the smells, the chaos - woot woot. She also manages to throw in the big players (Benedict Arnold, FTW!) without it seeming forced or unnecessary. I will say I am waiting for the pages where Claire and/or Jamie run into George Washington. I just know it's going to happen and I can't wait to see it.
Gabaldon's writing is, as always, rich and vibrant in its detailed description and emotion. More than once I cringed at the medical images and sighed at the environmental vistas. Gabaldon has the ability to transport the reader to both the location and time of her choosing. Her writing, particular is this book, is magical. It is nuanced, emotional, and glues you to the page.
I could go on and be even more fan girly in this review, but I shant. Just know that if you've given up on the series or have been plodding through for whatever reason, Echo in the Bone will be a breath of fresh air. I already love the books, but this one was just delicious.
RATING: 8/10
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