Outlander Book Club: A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 52 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

The chapter starts with Roger telling Brianna about what he wants to do. This is why he’s been spending time with people around the Ridge. Brianna finally understands, and she’s happy to know that Roger’s eye isn’t straying. She’s even happier that Roger has made it clear that she and Jemmy (and any other children) will always come first.

So, what does Roger need to do to become a minister? Can he just declare it and start preaching like they would do on the channels in their own time? I love that the two get to joke about their own time at this point.

There is something more to it for Roger. He notes that there are sacraments, and this is one of them. He’ll need to figure out what the next step is.

After that, we see Brianna with her family. Claire is singing Clementine, and Brianna is sitting with Jamie. The two talk about Disney, and Brianna tries to describe how it’s an amusement park for children—amusement parks in the 18th century are for adults.

I adore the description of the Mickey Mouse and how Jamie is shocked that a “rat” is a mascot. It’s just a brilliant look at how entertainment changes over the years.

However, what stands out for me is how Brianna looks back with happiness. We can look back at Claire and Frank’s time as one where Bree may not have been happy. Her parents weren’t all that happy, but it’s clear that they tried to make life calm and enjoyable for Bree. Vacations were the best because it was a time neither of her parents was working and the attention was on them all being happy.