Outlander Book Club: A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 34 breakdown

Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter

There are a couple of elements of foreshadowing in this chapter. The first is the mention of Donner. We know that he’s not dead. He’s going to come back and cause more trouble. The fact that he’s not in Brownsville makes it clear that he’s figuring out his next steps. Donner doesn’t want to remain in the past if he doesn’t have to.

The other bit of foreshadowing is Young Ian. He’s comfortable with Bird and his people. It’s clear that Young Ian found a family when he was with the Mohawk. We still don’t know the full story of why he returned, and it is going to come up. I think it’s important to remember how comfortable he feels with other tribes. His heart is still there with the Mohawk for now.

Adapting A Breath of Snow and Ashes chapter

We got some of this chapter adapted in Outlander Season 5. Jamie returned to Brownsville alone with Lionel’s body. Instead of saying Lionel succumb to injuries, Jamie opted to make it clear that he killed the man.

With Lionel’s involvement in Claire’s abduction in the first place, it made sense for the show to change this part a little. Plus, it makes it clear that Richard doesn’t think this whole matter is solved. The Browns will always be a threat, which is exactly what Jamie notes in the book chapter. The two got to the same conclusion is a slightly different way.

Since the show opted to combine Claire’s leaflets under Dr. Rawlings’s name and her abduction, I didn’t mind the change at all. From a TV show’s development point of view, it made a lot of sense to me. The book just doesn’t work chapter by chapter for a TV series. It really is as simple as that.

What did you spot while reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 34? Let us know in the comments below.

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