Outlander Book Club: Book 2, Chapter 28 breakdown

Foreshadowing within the Outlander chapter

Something that stands out for me in this chapter is the foreshadowing of Claire’s depression later. She struggles at first to deal with Jamie not there with her; with the grief of losing him. This is all when Jamie sends her back through the stones before Culloden, putting her back in the 1940s to raise their daughter with Frank.

There is also that mention of trying for another child. Of course, we know that Brianna is born later. If Dragonfly in Amber didn’t start with the 1968 scenes, I do think the line about Jamie giving Claire another child would have been foreshadowing for what’s to come. Jamie and Claire will have a daughter together.

I think there’s also an element of foreshadowing that Claire and Jamie aren’t whole without each other. They’ve been separated before. In the first book, we watched Claire do everything she could to get Jamie out of Wentworth Prison, but she never hit such a depth of depression. This chapter makes it clear that the two souls are nothing without each other.

Adapting the Dragonfly in Amber chapter

This chapter was certainly used but slightly differently to the book. After all, Jamie never went to Spain. That whole section was avoided to help keep the story concise for the sake of time.

Claire had also already learned about Fergus being raped by Black Jack Randall. That was the reason she went to petition the King. It was necessary considering Murtagh’s life wasn’t at risk in the show.

Jamie learned everything that happened in their home in Paris. This was also the chance for us to learn everything that happened.

The bit that stands out as a change was Mother Hildegarde telling Claire that baptizing a stillborn was illegal in Paris. I can’t find if this was true, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it was. Whether it was or not, it was still unusual to baptize a stillborn, but without that, Faith couldn’t have been buried on consecrated ground.

I loved the focus on this. It showed the love Mother Hildegarde had for Claire. Sometimes she may have seemed standoffish, but she had a generous heart.

In the show, we also see Claire sing to baby Faith. In the novel, Claire says that she held the baby, but nothing else. I did adore seeing Caitriona Balfe’s acting in “Faith.” It’s one of the standout episodes of the whole series.

What did you get while reading Outlander Book 2, Chapter 28? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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