Outlander Book Club: An Echo in the Bone Chapter 76 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

The chapter starts with Jamie, Claire, and Ian back on the road. It’s time to go to Lallybroch. Ian gets nervous as he gets closer. How will his mom react to seeing him?

Claire is also nervous. She is still annoyed that Jenny set Jamie up with Laoghaire. However, Claire also realizes that Jenny did it for Jamie’s sake. Jenny had no idea what Laoghaire had done or the type of woman she was. This wasn’t to hurt Claire. In fact, Jenny was hurt when Claire just turned up.

Claire tries to keep her focus on Ian, though. This is about bringing him back home as Jamie always promised.

Jenny already knows they’re coming. It’s not from a letter but the fact that people talk. People will recognized Jamie immediately, and they’ll recognize Claire as a witch (and that’s not necessarily a bad thing). They will also call Ian a “red Indian.”

Jenny opens the door before Ian can even knock on it. After initially taking his look in, she embraces him. She only glances at Claire, but then pays more attention when she sees Jamie’s hand. Jenny knows Claire did this, and she approves of the work done.

That’s when they learn that Ian Murray is dying. He has consumption, and there is nothing that Claire can do. Ian has resigned himself to dying, but it looks like Jenny thinks that Claire has turned up just in time. I get a sense that she hopes Claire can save her husband.

We do find out that Jenny wrote to Jamie about Ian’s condition. The letter must have gotten to the Ridge after Jamie and Claire left. Jamie’s letters didn’t get to Jenny due to the blockade. Jenny comments that it must have been a hard journey with how long it took. Oh, if only she knew how much I was thinking “when will they get to Scotland?” throughout my first read-through of An Echo in the Bone.