Description (from cover):
"Claire Randall is leading a double life. She has a husband in one century, and a lover in another...
In 1945, Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon--when she innocently touches a boulder in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach-- an "outlander"--in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of our Lord...1743.
Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire's destiny is soon inextricably intertwined with Clan MacKenzie and the forbidden Castle Leoch. She is catapulted without warning into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life...and shatter her heart. For here, James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a passion so fierce and a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.
Her husband is two centuries away, she is related to her lover's mortal enemy, and her neighbors think she's a witch. In this unforgettable novel of time travel, Diana Gabaldon fuses wry, modern sensibility with the drama, passion, and violence of eighteenth century as she tells the story of one daring woman and the man who loves her."My thoughts:
I have been wanting to read this book for years as it always tops the list of the best historical fiction. I was always put off from reading it because it involves Scottish history, and that isn't an area of interest for me. I picked up this book to find out what all the hype was and oh man was I thrown for a loop. The writing style, the characters, the plot and the intrigue. This is one of the best books I have EVER read. I loved this book so much. It had me so interested in Scottish history that I could hardly believe it. Gabaldon definitely has an amazing gift for telling a wonderful story.
This book is the story of Claire Randall who is visiting Inverness, Scotland with her husband of eight years, Frank Randall. Claire has previously been a war nurse in WWII and has been separated by the ravages of war from her husband. They decided to go on a second honeymoon to rekindle their marriage. Claire is interested in botany and finds herself wandering the countryside while her husband is researching his ancestry. She finds a stone circle and is mysteriously transported to a whole different century in war torn Scotland.
She is surprised by the brutality of the Scots (which they are notoriously famous for, after all) and is equally shocked to learn that this world she has found herself in has no modern conveniences such as running water, indoor plumbing, modern medicines, etc. She adapts to this way of living with moderate ease and finds herself thrown together quite often with James Fraser. This story is the tale of their romance and the struggles that they have to deal with, which includes hiding from the English, dealing with the politics of various clans and the guilt she feels for leaving her previous life to be a part of this one. A beautiful story and I can't wait to get my hands on the others of this series. I wish I didn't have so many books to read or I would be reading this series from start to finish right now. Can't get enough.
Overall Rating: 5/5
Title: Outlander
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Series: Outlander #1
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: 20th Anniversary Edition; July 5, 2011
Pages: 688
Genre: Historical Fiction
Disclaimer: This book was selected from the library by myself and I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All thoughts and opinions are solely mine.
