Ian wants to learn about Emily and her life in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 40
After learning a little about Emily from Gutter in a previous chapter, Ian spends Outlander Book 7, Chapter 40 trying to find out more about his ex-wife. He wants to get any details that he can.
This is an important chapter for Ian when it comes to growth. He is still trying to figure out how he is, and there are some similarities between him and another who is English and Mohawk. Ian is struggling to find the balance between the two sides of him.
However, it’s Emily who he is more concerned about. He travels 300 miles to see her, although he says that he doesn’t want her back. It’s hard to say what he wants in this chapter, though. We want to believe him, but it’s clear that his heart is still hers.
There is a bit of foreshadowing in this chapter, though. I’ll get to that in the foreshadowing section.
I don’t think we’re going to see this chapter used in Outlander Season 7. We’ve already seen a version of it, and I’ll get to my thoughts on that in the adaptation section.
Let’s dive into An Echo in the Bone Chapter 40.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with Ian thinking about Joseph Brant. He is the Mohawk chief Thayendanegea, and has found a way to merge his English affiliations with his Mohawk ones. Ian does feel conflicted between the two parts of him, and he needs to figure out how to merge them. He would like to talk to Brant about that, but he decides to ask about Sun Elk instead.
Sun Elk is Emil’s husband. It turns out that the family is in Unadilla, so Ian and Rollo head on a journey to there. On the way, they come upon a Mohawk camp where he eats with the men. There is a moment where he considers laying with a woman, but she reminds him of Emily and he can’t do it.
After that, he makes it to Brant’s house and meets with a few men. Eats Turtles and Sun Elk are both there, two men Ian knows. Sun Elk isn’t happy that Ian wants to see Emily, worried that Ian will try to take her away. Why would he come 300 miles if he wasn’t going to take Emily away? There is a fight that breaks up, but after this, Ia heads out to see his ex-wife.
This is when Ian starts to wonder about whether Emily wants to see him. He hasn’t even considered her feelings up to this point. When they do come face-to-face, Ian apologizes for not being able to give Emily children. She accepts his apology, and now she has one of her own.
There is a chance for the two of them to connect and find out more about each other. It’s clear that Emily isn’t over Ian all that much. She made a choice for the sake of her tribe, but not one that her heart would have chosen. Ian wants to make sure Emily is happy, but he’s confused that she doesn’t wonder the same. Emily simply tells him that she has eyes. She can see the sadness in him.
I adore that we get this moment. We see that their love is never going to disappear. It will change over time, but they will always be fond of each other, and it’s no wonder Sun Elk was worried about losing his wife.
After Emily leaves, Ian is left with her son, Digger. Digger shares that Emily said he is the child of Ian’s spirit, but he’s not supposed to say anything to his father. I do think this is a clear sign that Emily and Ian did eventually have a child together.
Emily has another child, a girl. She asks Ian to name the child, but he wants to name the boy. Emily doesn’t like that, saying the boy is hers to name. To be honest, getting Ian to name the girl is surprising. This would be an honor to a biological family member, and at this point, we’re left to believe that none of these children are Ian’s biologically. It’s supposed to show the emotional and spiritual connection Emily and Ian have. I do think it shows something else.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
This chapter certainly foreshadows a few things. The first is that while Ian will move on, it won’t be with a Native American woman. He has had no problem connecting to white women in bed, but he didn’t want to sleep with someone who reminded him of Emily. So, he’ll end up with a white woman.
There is also foreshadowing in what’s to come in Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone. I get a sense that Emily’s eldest is Ian’s child. She knows it, but she can’t share that with anyone else. She decides to keep it a secret, although the boy knows something. This whole chapter seems to hint that Ian and Emily had a child together, and Emily knew that. It does make me dislike Emily a little. If she knew she was carrying Ian’s child, why didn’t she say something before he was kicked out of the Mohawk tribe?
We also get a bit of foreshadowing of Ian and Rachel having a son together. They don’t agree on a name, and it’s Emily who ends up naming the boy. I have a feeling that this foreshadows it since Ian is so certain on naming Emily’s son Swiftest of Lizards.
Adapting An Echo in the Bone chapter
I don’t think this chapter is going to be used in the TV series. I feel like we have this adaptation already. We got to see Ian learn about Emily and her life with the man Ian once called a brother. It’s not Sun Elk in the show but Kaheroton.
For the show, I do prefer the way it was all handled. It made sense to bring back a character we’d already met and have that be the connection to Emily. It was also a chance for Ian to figure out that he could be both Mohawk and Scottish, something that he does eventually figure out in the books. There isn’t enough time for the whole of Young Ian’s journey in the TV series from the books, so getting this was just right.
What did you spot while reading An Echo in the Bone Chapter 40? Let us know in the comments below.
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