Outlander Book Club: Drums of Autumn Chapter 69 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

We’re into October 1770, and the Frasers are on their way to the Gathering. It’s going to take time to get there, which gives everyone a chance to talk about baby names. Yes, it’s October and this poor wee thing doesn’t have a name yet.

Brianna goes through some of the names that she likes, including John and Ian. Well, the two are really the same name, which means she can only pick one. She also wants to include one of Jamie’s names, but she definitely can’t go for Jamie. Which one will it be?

Roger suggests the name Jeremiah, and it’s one that Claire likes. While it is Old Testament, it’s also one of Roger’s name. In fact, it’s a family name passed down through the generations.

Marsali goes over the name John Jeremiah Alexander Fraser MacKenzie to get an idea of it. It is a bit of a mouthful, and it’s not the name that wee Jemmy ends up with. However, some of the names end up being in there.

The conversation moves onto Roger’s ancestry. He never knew who William MacKenzie married. That was never on his chart, but Claire knows it. She tells him that Buck married Morag Gunn.

Is this the same Morag Gunn from the Gloriana? It certainly seems to be. It would connect to the baby being called Jeremiah. Roger saved his own ancestor.

To end the chapter, Claire tells Bree and Roger that she asked Geillis why they could do it, why they could travel. Geillis said that it was to change things. Is that really an answer? It’s something to ponder.