Friday, August 13, 2010

Book Blog Tour of Diana Gabaldon's An Echo in the Bone

Welcome to the TLC Book Tour of the latest in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series: An Echo in the Bone.   It's hard to describe the Outlander series. I first discovered Diana Gabaldon on the "new" and "one week only" section at the New York Public Library.   It was one of my weekend runs to the library and I found myself staying up all night reading the first in the series.  This is a series that you must read in order - the story is complex with many important characters, events and subplots.  Each installment is over 500 pages - and each chapter builds on the story.  I was lucky enough to discover the series in 2006, so I was able to read one book after another and lose myself in the adventures of Claire and Jamie.  

The books combine time travel, historical fiction,  and politics and unforgettable characters with an amazing love story.  As Gabaldon tells the story of Claire and Jamie, she takes us back to 1945 and 1743 and to Scotland, France, England and "the colonies".

What would you do if you went back in time to a place where you run the risk of being burned as a witch for by revealing what you know? 

That's what happens to Claire Randall as she finds herself transported from 1945 to 1743.   Things that she'd taken for granted  -- facts, history, basic knowledge are unknown to the inhabitants around her and are enough to mark her as a witch.  Claire acts bravely and with care -- balances her good sense with her sense of what is right.  Fortunately,  Claire meets young Jamie FraserClaire wins Jamie's loyalty and protection even though he doesn't comprehend the mystery that Claire hides or the danger that she brings.


An Echo in the Bone: A Novel (Outlander)
The blurb:
James Fraser is an eighteenth-century Highlander, an ex-Jacobite traitor, and a reluctant rebel in the American Revolution.  His wife, Claire Randall Fraser, is a surgeon -- from the 20th century.  What she knows of the future compels them to fight.  What she doesn't know might kill them both.

With one foot in America and one foot in Scotland, Jamie and Claire's adventure spans the Revolution, from sea battles to printshops, as their paths cross with historical figures from Benjamin Franklin to Benedict Arnold. 

Meanwhile, in the relative safety of the twentieth century, their daughter, Brianna, and her husband experience the unfolding drama of the Revolutionary War through Claire's letters.  But the letters can't warn them of the threat that's rising out of the past to overshadow their family.

Review:
I can't stress enough that the books must be read in sequence.   In this installment, An Echo in the Bone, Jamie and Claire are significantly older and are grandparents several times over but they retain their charisma and vigor.    A  respected physician and a member of the colonial militia in 1776, the revolution (a.k.a.Rebellion) force Claire and Jamie to action. The Frasers are forced to relocate and their travels introduce us to day-to-day life of colonial America.  Gabaldon weaves in historical figures and events and we are treated to memorable intrigue and adventures. 

What I enjoyed most was  catching up with some of my favorite characters and those I love to hate.  The best parts were the moments of tenderness between Jamie and Claire and the medical miracles that Claire pulls off with limited  resources and an abundance of skill.

If you're a fan of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, don't miss this latest installment!  And if you haven't yet read her books, if you enjoy historical fiction and fantasy/time travel - you'll surely love the series.  Be sure to approach the books in the proper sequence and be prepared to settle in for a nice long read!

ISBN-10: 0385342462 - Trade Paperback $17.00
Publisher: Bantam; Reprint edition (June 22, 2010), 848 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author:
Diana Gabaldon is the New York Times bestselling author of the wildly popular Outlander novels-Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, and A Breath of Snow and Ashes (for which she won a Quill Award and the Corine International Book Prize)-and one work of nonfiction, The Outlandish Companion, as well as the bestselling series featuring Lord John Grey, a character she introduced in Voyager. She lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.  You can learn more about her or read her blog at Voyages of the Artemis at http://voyagesoftheartemis.blogspot.com/

5 comments:

  1. It's crazy how beloved these books are by Gabaldon fans. Great review, Gaby- thank you so much for being on the tour!

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  2. This sounds like such a fun series. I could definitely see myself getting caught up in it. Great review!

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  3. I read the first three books of the series and loved the first two but the third one bogged me down. Reading your review, however, has made me curious as to what has happened to my good friends, Claire and Jamie! Thanks for the review.

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  4. It is neat how those characters you loved to hate in the beginning you come to tolerate or even like later on! And then there are those you liked that turn bad! I agree the books are best read in order.

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