Brianna finds out what has happened to Jamie in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 72
The only way Bree can get information right now is through the letters Claire and Jamie send. She reads another in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 72.
One of the downsides of the letters is we’re told and not shown. I love that Bree learns everything that’s happened, but I don’t always feel the need for it. I like the information we learn between the letters, such as in this chapter when Bree smells the letters alone. We get to see that need for connection to her parents.
I do love that Claire shares the details of the ship’s name to Scotland. It’s almost like giving flight details, but in this case, I guess it’s so Bree can research the ship if it was the last letter received. At least Bree can then find out what happened to her parents.
The chapter doesn’t foreshadow all that much for me. It doesn’t really push the plot forward, either. It’s about catching Bree up with everything that’s happened.
I doubt it will be used in the TV series. I’ll get to my thoughts on that in the adaptation section.
Let’s dive into An Echo in the Bone Chapter 72.
Just the Outlander chapter
Brianna thinks about how Roger can’t see her smelling the letters. This is her way of staying close to her parents, and it’s clear she misses them dearly. This isn’t someone separated by water but by time. And it’s interesting that the letter is dated Nov. 1. The stones would have been open for time travel.
The letter runs through what happened to Jamie, the fact that Ian is in love and is technically a murderer, and that the Frasers are on their way to Scotland. Claire shares the ship’s name and talks a little about the coffin.
Kos, the polish engineer who Jamie got along well with, came up with the idea to line the coffin with lead. This is important due to the decomposition of the body along the journey. Jamie and Claire are traveling with a Mohawk who speaks very little English. This Mohawk looked up to Simon Fraser, so wants to travel with him. I can’t remember now, but was this supposed to be Ian? Was this the way around getting him on the ship?
I can’t remember if this comes up in a later chapter, and I try to write these posts before reading the next chapter to make sure I don’t mix events up. My memory isn’t what it used to be.
The chapter ends with Jamie writing a postscript to the letter. It’s the Feast of Saints, and Jamie wants Bree to pray for him. Does this suggest that he thinks his soul is in Purgatory?
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
I guess it’s the ending that has the bit of foreshadowing if you read between the lines. Bree notes that praying on the Feast of Saints is to help souls get through Purgatory. Is that where Jamie thinks his soul will be?
e know that Jamie was the ghost at the start of Outlander. The answers will come in the final book, but is it possible that his ghost was in Purgatory? It all connects to Samhain, All Souls’ Day, and Catholic beliefs.
Adapting An Echo in the Bone chapter
I don’t think we’ll see the chapter used. At least, not with Bree reading the letters. We may see her smell the letter in private as a way to connect to her parents. We may also see her talk to Roger about something that is in the letter, but the series needs to show and not tell. There’s no point running over an event again through the letters when we see it on screen.
What I would love to see is just that sign that Bree misses her parents. I want to see her try to connect with them, which is why I could see her smelling the letter being used, maybe as she puts one away at the start of a scene.
What did you spot while reading An Echo in the Bone Chapter 72? Let us know in the comments below.
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