Outlander Book Club: Voyager Chapter 19 breakdown
Just the Outlander chapter
We start with Claire returning home. Something she’s done since leaving Inverness is she’s thought about technology. Can she live without the modern conveniences? It’s something we’ve all thought about from time to time, but never for the same reason as Claire. She’s considering going back to a time with none of the modern technology in the 1960s.
Claire realizes that she can live without everything. She did it growing up with Uncle Lamb. Why shouldn’t she be able to do it again?
As she moves around the house, Claire thinks more about the ghosts of the past. Brianna has already moved out of the house, going to university, so her bedroom has been empty for a while. However, everything still has its place in her room, something she notes that Frank always had. They both collect things, something Jamie never did. Claire realizes that Bree has a lot of both Frank and Jamie in her.
Claire’s thoughts move onto the night that Frank died. They had an argument that night, with Frank telling Claire that he was returning to England and he was taking Brianna with him. This wasn’t a request. He made it clear that Bree is his daughter, and he will tell her where to go. Claire points out that Bree is almost 18 and still as a term left at school, but Frank isn’t willing to budge.
Frank shows his true colors in this chapter. He doesn’t want Brianna to be with a Black man. He’s terribly racist, and he accuses Claire of having an affair with Joe. Claire is angry about that accusation because it simply isn’t true.
Claire tells Frank that his women have come to her time and time again to ask her to give him up. She has always said that Frank just has to ask, but he never has asked for a divorce. Claire tells him that he can have it and use whatever reason he wants, but not adultery. He can’t prove something that isn’t true.
Frank points out that Claire was always reminded of Jamie when looking at Brianna. While she was, it wasn’t just Bree that made Claire think of Jamie. She would always think of him.
The argument ends with Frank storming out of the house. Claire decides not to stay in the house, either. She leaves for the hospital to check on her patients, which is where she is when a nurse comes over to her. Frank has been involved in a car crash and was DOA.
Claire sees Frank’s body, which is unharmed in the face. The injuries will be beneath the sheet. She does get a chance to tell him that she loved him once, hoping his ghost is still around to hear it.
It’s Joe calling her “Claire” that makes her realize that this is all real. He only ever calls her “Jane” or “L.J.” so using her actual name tells her that it’s serious.
At the end of the chapter, Claire is pulled away from the ghosts of the 1960s. She’s pulled back to the ghosts in the 1760s. Claire gets a telegram from Roger saying that he has found Jamie. She needs to go back to Scotland.