Roger is rebuilding the church at Lallybroch in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 70
Brianna sees Roger rebuilding the church in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 70. I think this is also about him trying to rebuilt himself.
It’s a short chapter. Roger is rebuilding the church to feel closer to them, but who exactly is “them?” Roger doesn’t explain it fully. It’s clear that he’s figuring himself out while he does this, and being closer to the past will help him do this.
In a way, this chapter foreshadows everything that is about to come for Roger. It foreshadows this journey into who he is and who he is to become. It also foreshadows the journey that Brianna is about to go on as she tries to figure her husband out while trying to survive on her own.
We know that some of Written In My Own Heart’s Blood is going to be used in Outlander Season 7, and that’s likely because not a lot of the Book 7 storyline for Bree and Roger is going to be used. I think some of this chapter might, though, even if it’s just the conversation between husband and wife.
Let’s dive into An Echo in the Bone Chapter 70.
Just the Outlander chapter
We start off with Brianna finding Roger rebuilding the church at Lallybroch, and he’s doing it by hand, brick by brick. This is certainly a call back to Brian building Lallybroch for Ellen. Roger isn’t doing this for Brianna, though. He’s doing this to be closer to “them.”
Bree’s parents? That’s what she wants to know. It is partly true, but it’s also a connection to the past. Roger is rebuilding himself while he rebuilds the church. He has a lot of questions about who he is now and what he wants to do with his life. What did he want to do before Bree and Claire? What has the trip to the past made him?
Something Roger has struggled with up to this point is what makes him a good Christian. Is he right for a place as a minister? Was going after Bonnett the Christian thing? The alternative was allowing Bree to be raped and sold into slavery. Would that have been the Christian thing? I love how the books bring up these debates and allow us to see all sides.
Roger realizes that everything he has been through has been for a reason. There is still a mission for him to do, but he doesn’t know what that is yet.
There is a break in the story. A shadow appears at the door. William Buccleigh MacKenzie is there, and Roger immediately recognizes him. This is huge. And it’s clear that there is a big story to come for the two men. What’s interesting is that William is looking for sanctuary and comes upon the man he almost had killed.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
Oh, this chapter foreshadows a lot. Roger knows that there is something for him to do. Everything he has been through is leading him to something, and then Buck walks to the door. Their journeys are connected, and they have a big mission that involves traveling through time.
I think the rebuilding of the church foreshadows the bit with Brian Fraser, too. We know Brian built Lallybroch for Ellen. He would have done it all by hand, and Roger unknowingly connects to his wife’s grandfather through his actions. He’ll get to meet the man and see Lallybroch shortly after it was first built very soon.
Adapting An Echo in the Bone chapter
I want to see this chapter developed. I would love to see Roger go on this spiritual journey in the series, although I’m not sure that’s going to happen. He’s on his way to become a minister in the TV series and doesn’t seem to be wavering from that journey just yet. There is time, though.
What I do suspect we’ll see is Buck’s appearance. After all, we know Buck is coming into the story based on the recent casting news. It takes sense to keep his return the same as the books. We’ll get to see Roger trying to hold it all together when he remembers this man as the one who almost got him killed.
What did you spot while reading An Echo in the Bone Chapter 70? Let us know in the comments below.
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