Claire and Jamie are on their way to Scotland in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 25
Claire and Jamie are finally on the ship to Scotland in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 25. Jamie spends his time writing.
I love that we see just how much Jamie misses everyone. He also looks back at North Carolina with sadness. While there have been some bad things that happened there, this was a place he was creating a home in. This was where he met Brianna and held his grandchildren. While he looks forward to seeing Jenny and the others again, he still misses what has become his home.
We also get to see that connection between Claire and Jamie again, here. He needs to rely on her at the moment. Remember how seasick Jamie gets. This is something that comes up again, and it’s not surprising that Jamie is trying to write to take his mind off everything.
There is a little bit of foreshadowing in this chapter. This is mostly about what’s going to happen to Fergus and his family.
I would love to see this in the TV series, but I get the idea that it will be skipped over. I’ll get to why that is in the adaptation section.
Let’s dive into An Echo in the Bone Chapter 25.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with Jamie writing to Brianna and Roger. Even if they don’t end up getting the letters, I love that this is Jamie’s connection to them. He wants to write to them as if they are in France, which is where everyone else believes they have gone.
Something I picked out here is that even Fergus believes they have gone to France. I know Diana Gabaldon has said that Fergus knows the truth about time travel, but it seems that hasn’t happened yet. It’s supposedly happened at some point off-book, but I really want to see that conversation play out.
Back to the story, Claire isn’t happy that Jamie is writing so much. He just wants to take his mind off things, but he is struggling with seasickness. He’s relying heavily on Claire right now. She’s using acupuncture to help, but he still doesn’t feel as strong as he should, and Claire has to be the strong one right now. I do like seeing this turn of events as Jamie is usually the stronger one of the two, at least, physically.
We also learn that something happened to Fergus. While waiting for the ship, which is captained by a pirate and Jamie doesn’t like that, Jamie learns that Fergus was attacked in New Bern. We don’t know who attacked him, but whoever it was ended up injured by Fergus’s hook.
There are a few people who could have attacked Fergus. He’s tried to remain neutral with his paper, but he has to eventually pick a side. The Sons of Liberty or the Loyalists could have decided to attack because of that.
Jamie actually thinks that it’s Percy Beauchamp. That does seem the most likely considering the storylines happening with William and Lord John Grey right now.
At the end of the chapter, Claire writes to Brianna and shares that she saw the luggage with the name Arnold, and we know what that likely means. It must feel strange to be in a time when you know the events that will happen. Claire wonders again if she can and should change history. In this case, America needs to become America.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
I get a sense of foreshadowing when it comes to Fergus. This is just the first time that he’s been attacked, but it won’t be the last. His print shop is in danger, and we know eventually he needs to leave New Bern for Philadelphia.
Not everything is connected together, though. From what I remember, Fergus’s print shop is burned by Loyalists like so many others, but this attack was someone connected to Percy. Fergus is in trouble on multiple sides, and I would love chapters focused on his POV to get to know more.
Adapting An Echo in the Bone chapter
I would like to see this chapter developed to get the closeness of Claire and Jamie. However, I doubt that it will be used as is. I’m sure the most important parts of the chapter will be mentioned in conversation somehow.
There’s just not enough time for this chapter to be developed. There’s nothing too major that happens on the ship that I can remember. However, just a small conversation to give us that closeness will be enough for me.
What did you spot while reading An Echo in the Bone Chapter 25? Let us know in the comments below.
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