Claire and Jamie go to the barbecue at River Run in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 54
We head back to River Run in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 54. This is a chance to escape the backcountry for a while and weave some real history into the story.
The barbecue is in honor of Flora MacDonald, the woman who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape England and Scotland after Culloden. She did spend some time in the Tower of London, and she is a real person from history worked into the novel.
However, getting to River Run for the barbecue is just a reason to get the Frasers there. We’re actually here for other reasons. It’s a chance to bring the French gold into the storyline. Jocasta recognizes a voice, and she has to share more of the details with Claire and Jamie.
This chapter certainly sets more stones for the French gold storyline. It is going to come up again in A Breath of Snow and Ashes. It’s not really foreshadowing, but I think there are hints of who the third person was in this chapter.
Will it be used in the TV series, though? That’s something I’m not all too certain about. I still have a feeling the French gold storyline will be skipped over, and I’ll share why that is in the adaptation section.
Let’s dive into A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 54.
Just the Outlander chapter
We start with the barbecue. Claire and Flora meet, and it turns out that both women have heard a lot about each other. Of course, we know that Claire knows Flora from history. She looked into the history of Scotland and France before coming back to the past. She didn’t bother with the Colonies, but she does know that Flora will spend some time in North Carolina before heading back to Scotland.
Flora knows a little about Claire’s skills. She wants to talk to Claire more but has to entertain the crowd. She has managed to bring Jacobites together in a way Charles Stuart never would have been able to.
Gerald Forbes steps in to talk to Claire. He’s heard rumors that Jamie is going to arm the Cherokee with muskets, and there are rumors that this is for Jamie to switch sides and make sure the Cherokee switch with him. Of course, Claire knows that Jamie will eventually switch, but it’s curious that there is talk of this.
Forbes isn’t happy with the way he was turned down by Brianna. Is there actually this rumor going around or is Forbes just trying to cause trouble?
The focus moves to Jocasta, though. She’s struggling with pressure in her eye, and Claire has now been able to fully diagnose Jocasta’s blindness. She knows the exact type of glaucoma it is, and Claire needs to do an operation to help relieve the pressure in Jocasta’s eye right now. It’s while Jocasta is awake, but it doesn’t look as painful as it sounds. Claire literally sticks a pin in Jocasta’s eye to release pressure.
After this, Jocasta shares that she has heard a voice that she recognizes. The third man involved in the French gold situation is here. He was at the Gathering last, but that and that day at the harbor are the only times that she’s heard the voice. It narrows things down a tiny bit but not enough to figure out who this man could be.
Jocasta worries that the man will kill her. In fact, someone came at her and she managed to catch him with her knife that she had in her basket. Ulysses later notes that some gold is missing from the house.
Later, Phaedre mentions that something doesn’t feel right. There’s a mention of her Grannie from Africa about talking to the bones, and that makes Claire think of Bonnet. It’s not that she thinks Bonnet is the same man from Jocasta’s past, but he is a dangerous man and knows about the gold. Phaedre hasn’t seen him since the first time. That settles a little, but there is more to come from this.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
We know the French gold storyline is going to come up again. That’s always been clear. You don’t write that in without bringing it to some sort of conclusion.
There is some foreshadowing for revealing the third person. This person was at the Gathering, which helps to narrow things down. The person has also been nicked with a knife, so that will help to narrow some suspects down while at the barbecue.
It’s not Bonnet, but Bonnet is still a danger. We can’t forget about him, and that’s foreshadowed in this chapter.
Something else foreshadowed is Roger becoming a minister. He is away for a month to become a minister, and it’s almost time for him to build his church at the Ridge.
Adapting A Breath of Snow and Ashes chapter
I’m not too sure how much of this chapter is going to be used in Outlander Season 6. The barbecue may be used just to get Claire and Jamie away from the Ridge and in fancy clothing for a bit, but I’m not sure the French gold will be used in it. I just think it would have come up by now, and there are other ways to use the Bugs.
Yes, the Bugs and the French gold all lead to the fire at the Big House. There are other ways to write in the fire, though. Let’s just consider the fact that Claire is using ether around an open flame. Is that foreshadowing something for the series?
Flora MacDonald doesn’t play a huge role. She’s just someone to include from real history and a reason to get Claire and Jamie to River Run. Is there really a need to cast her for the series? I’m just not entirely convinced about this.
There is so much to fit into Outlander Season 6. There are many other ways to condense plots and keep important parts in.
What did you spot while reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 54? Let us know in the comments below.
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