Outlander Book Club: An Echo in the Bone Chapter 7 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

The chapter starts with Bree reading another letter from Jamie. Jamie shares that he and Ian are heading to Scotland. Bree later notes that she’s sure Claire will be going there soon. Jamie doesn’t want to go to Scotland, but he needs to. Now is the time to retrieve his printing press.

He also wants to get Young Ian back to Lallybroch. This was a promise Jamie made to Jenny, and it’s time to see it through. Of course, Ian has changed considerably since then, so will Ian fit in with the area anymore?

Jamie goes on to explain that he’s going to use his printing press to help “fight” for the cause. The people of New Bern are mostly on the Loyalist side. That means he can’t do much there because he wants to keep Fergus safe. So, he needs his own printing press to do things. He will print pamphlets to help raise the word.

He doesn’t blame anyone being on the Loyalist side. Jamie notes that he would have been had it not been for the knowledge of the future. I love that we get to see this. It’s a chance to understand why some of those who fought at Culloden are now fighting with the British.

After reading the letter, Bree and Roger hear Jemmy and Mandy talking. There are marks in one of the doorways in Lallybroch, and Jemmy shares that they were when the “Bad English” got Jamie. Bree wonders if they should really raise their children to hate the English, but Roger points out it’s not hate. Plus, they’re in the Highlands and there will be a few comments about Sassenachs.