Outlander Book Club: Written in My Own Heart’s Blood Chapter 16 breakdown

Ian tells Rachel about his past in Outlander Book 8, Chapter 16

With Jenny mentioning that Ian still doesn’t know she’s alive, we head to where Ian is with Rachel in Outlander Book 8, Chapter 16. He certainly does still believe that Jenny is dead.

The first part of the chapter focuses on the question of heaven. As much as Ian isn’t afraid of death, he worries about his mother’s soul. The conversation doesn’t stay on Jenny, though. Rachel wants to learn more about Ian’s past.

I love that we see him be honest with her. He knows that if he wants a real marriage with Rachel, he needs to be honest. This is one of the scariest things, but if he’s learned anything from Jamie, it’s that communication and honesty are important in a relationship.

Rachel takes a lot in her stride, including the possibility that Ian can’t have children. This doesn’t bother her in the way that it would many others, but maybe that’s because she doesn’t really believe that Ian can’t have children.

The chapter foreshadows things for Ian and Rachel, and I’ll get to that in the foreshadowing section. There is certainly elements of the story that I’m sure we’ll see adapted in the TV series, and I’ll get to that in the adaptation section.

Let’s dive into Written in My Own Heart’s Blood Chapter 16.