Outlander Book Club: Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone Chapter 57 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

The chapter starts with Jenny singing a waulking song while she milks the goats. It’s in the middle of a storm, and Jenny’s singing is helping to settle the goats.

Young Ian comes to see his mother. He needs to tell her about the plans to leave for the north, but he can’t build up the guts for it right away. Instead, they talk about the goats and how Jenny comments that not everyone knows not to churn butter in a thunderstorm.

The conversation moves on the MacKenzie motto, which Young Ian doesn’t know all that well. After all, the whole of Scottish heritage changed after Culloden in a way to prevent another uprising. The motto Tout Prest means “Quite Ready,” which Jenny notes is very close to the Fraser motto.

It is an important conversation at this point. After all, as Ian tells Jenny that he is heading north, Jenny shares that she’s made arrangement for the goats. She is going with Ian and Rachel. Young Ian does question whether his father would approve of this, but Jenny notes that Ian will always be with her in spirit and he wouldn’t stop her.

When Rachel finds out about it, she’s pleased but also worried. Ian makes it clear that there is no arguing with Jenny now that she’s made up her mind.