Although it seems ages ago that I´ve read this with growing affection I can still remember how a fantastic read this has been. Diving into a story that brings history to life is something the author has made possible in the most entertaining way imaginable. The second Outlander novel is as thrilling and diversified as one could wish for.
Dragonfly In Amber
by Diana Gabaldon
Outlander Series #2
Publisher Turtleback Books on January 1, 1993
Genre Historical Fantasy
Pages 976
Format Hardcover
Source Purchased
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For twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to Scotland's majestic mist-shrouded hills. Here Claire plans to reveal a truth as stunning as the events that gave it birth: about the mystery of an ancient circle of standing stones ...about a love that transcends the boundaries of time ...and about James Fraser, a Scottish warrior whose gallantry once drew a young Claire from the security of her century to the dangers of his ... Now a legacy of blood and desire will test her beautiful copper-haired daughter, Brianna, as Claire's spellbinding journey of self-discovery continues in the intrigue-ridden Paris court of Charles Stuart ...in a race to thwart a doomed Highlands uprising ...and in a desperate fight to save both the child and the man she loves...
Story
Claire has kept her secret for twenty years. But now she is returning to Scotland with her daughter Brianna because she finally wants to get to know the country her mother always raves about and because she wants to help her find him. But what they´re actually looking for is not entirely clear to Brianna. Since her sudden appearance in her own time over twenty years ago, Claire has been tormented by the question of whether her great love Jamie survived the upcoming Battle of Culloden, which she knows was cruel and bloody. Together with Brianna and Roger, the foster child of the late Reverend Reginald Wakefield, Claire sets out to find an answer in the old books of the Reverend. They rummage through old writings and records and reconstruct piece by piece and with the help of their memories and the known historical facts, the events of yore. For Brianna and Roger, the events of that time are nothing more than history, but for Claire, they are part of her own past. And in the middle of the Highlands, in a mysterious old cemetery, the moment of truth strikes for her …
Style
With this novel, Diana Gabaldon makes a leap in time of around twenty years. Sometimes the plot moves in Scotland in 1968 and sometimes in the 18th century when Claire and Jamie experience the moving and dangerous time of change again. The story is told alternately from the perspective of Claire and Roger, which makes the whole story lively and varied, and the historical data and background are conveyed to the reader in a very moving and interesting way.
Characters
The range of characters in Diana Gabaldon´s book ranges from brutality to passion and sophistication to the wonderfully displayed superficiality of some ladies at the French court. More than once I´ve literally grinned to myself about their penchant for naïve addiction and even greater ignorance.
Conclusion
Anyone who has been inspired by the first part of this series will also get an exciting and opulent reading pleasure from the Highland saga with part tow, where interesting history and great feelings are guaranteed.
Happy reading
Diana Gabaldon
Diana Gabaldon was an honorary professor of deep-sea biology and zoology at the University of Arizona before devoting her full-time to writing. Already her first novel Outlander was a huge international success and led to millions of readers becoming enthusiastic fans of her novels. She is the mother of three grown children and lives with her husband in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.
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