Ian runs into a family member he’s never met before in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 63
Sometimes, you look back and wonder what happened to some of the characters already introduced in the books. Outlander Book 7, Chapter 63 tells us a little about the son of a laird.
We get three character focuses throughout this chapter. One of those is William, who makes his first kill and doesn’t like it. I love how we get this boy who is becoming a man and realizing that what he thought would make him proud does the opposite.
Then there’s Ian, who meets a family member he didn’t know about. A certain MacKenzie shows up in this chapter, and it’s a MacKenzie who wants to get some advice from Jamie—a Jamie who has officially lost a finger.
There is a lot at play in this chapter, and I hope to see it in the TV series. I’ll share why I think it is important in the adaptation section.
As for foreshadowing, there is a little when it comes to William. I’ll get to my thoughts on that in the foreshadowing section.
Let’s dive into An Echo in the Bone Chapter 63.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with William, who made his first kill. It was a rebel, and William doesn’t feel good about it. We get this side of him that is very much like Jamie. After all, just because Jamie kills, doesn’t mean he likes it. It was only a few chapters ago when he admitted to Claire that he now thinks about the lives that he is taking from people. William has got to that stage of life much sooner.
This would sound weak to a lot of men at the time. And maybe it was in a time of war. However, this is such a grown-up element of William’s character. Yes, he has his moments where he argues back, but this moment here proves he’s not the brat that people keep saying he is.
This part of the chapter also gives us a look at the differences between the British and the Americans. The American supplies are running low, but they are happy. The British soldiers are starting to desert.
We then move onto Ian, who is so busy thinking about Rachel while in fog that he’s not looking at where he’s going. He ends up falling in a ditch and hurting his head. When he gets to the medical tent, there is a man who looks a lot like Jamie flirting with Rachel. The man says that he is Hamish MacKenzie, and the two realize that they are cousins.
Ian takes Hamish to see Jamie, who discusses with Claire what to do with his amputated finger. I love that he grieves this loss, and talking about burying it is a part of that grieving process. When Jamie sees Hamish, there is a wonderful reunion. We learn that Hamish was forced to take an oath and forced to move to Nova Scotia after there were major issues after Culloden. He hates the British and plans to fight with the Americans.
Jamie discusses how a forced oath isn’t binding. Jamie has no regrets going against the oath, and we see that Colum did arguably raise his son like Jamie was raised. It’s no wonder that Colum wanted Jamie to protect Hamish.
We end with Jamie and Hamish reconnecting, and I love that they get this chance.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
There is some foreshadowing in William’s part of the chapter. It’s all about how he will act once he learns that Jamie is his father. He’s not going to remain with the British Army. This isn’t to desert but because he is trying to figure out who he is.
It all starts here, though. William realizes that he doesn’t feel good about killing people, even the enemy. He needs to figure out what he does feel good doing, but it looks like a commission in the British Army isn’t for him.
Adapting An Echo in the Bone chapter
I would love to see this chapter adapted in Outlander Season 7. A lot of fans have wondered what happened to the MacKenzies of Leoch. The show hasn’t touched on it, although I think I briefly remember a mention of Hamish being in Canada. I can’t remember now because I do find the books and show combine in my head at times.
Even if there wasn’t a mention, show-first or show-only fans want to know. This is also important to understand Jamie turning his back on the oath made. We know he would battle with this, although the fact that his oath was forced on him does play a huge part in easing the internal battle. I want to see him be able to offer that wisdom to someone else in the family; someone who he may not have realized looked up to him.
What did you spot while reading An Echo in the Bone Chapter 63? Let us know in the comments below.
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