Outlander Book Club: An Echo in the Bone Chapter 79 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

We start with Jamie returning from Laoghaire. After hearing that Laoghaire didn’t really need him, he’s angry and anxious. Does Claire need him? He’s satisfied hearing that she does. We get this side of Jamie that we don’t often see. He doesn’t just want to be wanted. He wants to be needed. Isn’t that the way of a lot of people (not just men)?

Claire shares some of her experiences since being back. She waits for people to come to her to need help with medical needs. Some people remember her and are hurt that she left after Culloden. Jamie has explained that she fled to France after believing Jamie died, but people don’t like that. They wanted Claire to return. They needed her.

Jamie decides to take Claire to the cave where he stayed. Roger had talked about the cave, but now it’s time for Claire to see how Jamie lived. They’re interrupted by Joanie turning up. She wants to speak to Jamie alone, but she doesn’t mind Claire knowing. I wonder if despite everything Laoghaire has said, she knows Marsali trusts Claire and allows Joanie to trust Claire.

Joanie wants to be a nun, but she can’t leave Laoghaire right now. She knows her mother will be inappropriate with Joey, so she needs Laoghaire to marry Joey before she leaves. Laoghaire won’t do that because Joey doesn’t have the means to support the two of them, so Laoghaire needs the money from Jamie. The minute she remarries, the minute she loses that money.

Jamie promises to do something to help Joanie so she can be a nun and leave Laoghaire.

The ending of the chapter is about first loves. Jamie and Claire talk about how had Laoghaire been Jamie’s first love, Jamie may have viewed women differently. Instead, Claire was that first love. Jamie is shocked to learn that Frank probably wasn’t Claire’s first love. Does it really matter, though? It’s hard to say.