Book Review: Outlander

“Outlander” is now a STARZ series, and I just finished the first book in the series. I’m late to the party but ready to scavenge for crumbs. Diana Gabaldon must only write. She can’t possibly sleep, eat, or breathe like a normal human. In paperback, “Outlander” is 850 pages of page-turning action, adventure, love, history, murder, and mayhem. Life in 1743 is brutal, especially if you’ve arrived there from 1945! 

Claire Randall is a former combat nurse, reuniting with her husband on a second honeymoon. They stroll the moors of Scotland, enjoy a small inn, and he works on his history projects. They also hope to start a family. One day she strolls through an ancient stone shrine and finds herself in the midst of a raiding clan war in 1743. She’s a Sassenach – an “outlander”.  From the back blurb “Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life…and shatter her heart.”  She meets and falls in love with James Fraser, a gallant Scots warrior, but she’s married to Frank in 1945. “Torn between fidelity and desire, she must survive.” 

What a concept. With the knowledge Claire has of 1945 and history she’s gleaned from her husband, she must not reveal too much. Her nursing skills save lives (keep things clean first and foremost), and with a few vague warnings she can turn the tide of a battle. Gabaldon keeps things moving and her details are fascinating. The pages burn when Claire and Jamie are together. I’m hooked on the “Outlander” series and highly recommend you start reading now.