The Fiery Cross

So, this is book, um, 5, I believe, of The Outlander series. It's another 900-plus pages of 18th century fun with Jamie and Claire Fraser, who have now been joined by their daughter Brianna and her husband Roger MacKenzie, and their son Jemmy.

The action in this novel takes place in 1771-1772ish, in the years prior to the Revolutionary War (which they know if coming since Claire, Brianna, and Roger are from the future). The fiery cross referred to in the title is the symbol used by the Scottish lairds to call the clansmen to war, and Jamie uses it to lead his band of government-established militiamen against the "regulators" who are causing trouble in the colony. Jamie and Claire are aware of the fine line he needs to walk, showing loyalty to the crown for now to protect his family and holdings, and figuring out the right time to declare his support for the revolution that's coming.

As with all of Gabaldon's work, the detail is amazing, and she is obviously a demon for research. I think this novel more so than the others shows just the sort of regular everyday life of 18th century colonists - raising crops, building homesteads, bartering what you had with other colonists who had other things, and getting everything you could from what you had. Since Claire's a trained physician with a scientific mind, she's also trying to create penicillin and prevent the medical practitioners of the time from harming rather than healing her family and friends.We also see a lot more of Brianna and Roger, who are interesting characters, and hear about some other time travelers who have come through the Carolinas at some point.

I need to take a little break before the next book in the series, but I'll be looking forward to reading that one in the not-too-distant future.

The Fiery Cross