Outlander

Outlander
By Diana Gabaldon

I have been wanting to begin reading this series for a long time. I wish I could tell you what genre it fits in but I think it is mostly seen as a type of fantasy. Click on the title above to see what Gabaldon says about the book.

The main character is Claire Randall who has been re-united with her husband after World War II. They are currently in Scotland for a bit of a second honeymoon when Claire is sent back in a circle of standing stones through time to the year 1743. She is kidnapped by a local clan and eventually forced to marry one of their clansmen. She tries several times to get back to the stones and her own time period but eventually finds herself falling for her Scottish husband. They have several adventures and Claire must decide what time (and what husband) that she wants.

I would like to say more but then I would give too much away. I have been very careful in this review to not say more than is necessary. There were lots of surprises and I thought the plot was heading one way and Gabaldon took it another. Please note that some bedroom-type scenes may not be suitable for all ages or sensibilities.

What did this book have to do with my faith? Well, I had typed up a quote to share here and left it on my desktop for a couple of days without saving it. Of course, the electricity went out for 5 minutes one afternoon and I can't find it anywhere. The thought is something like this: when you sin, you are tempted to sin and you say yes to it. When you are offered grace it is the same: you must also say yes to it. I really liked that. At one point in the book, that was what Claire had to offer to her Scottish husband but he also had to accept that grace and forgiveness from Claire. How often do you and I choose sin but hold back on choosing grace? Do we not want to be forgiven? What stops us? What motivates us to accept grace?

I recommend this book.

Happy reading!

Amelia