Michael opens up about his grief in The Space Between Section 9. Joan has a chance to comfort him.
As Joan and Michael get closer to France, they talk a little more about their feelings and things going on around them. This is time for Michael to ask Joan for a favor. He would like her to pray for the soul of his deceased wife, Lily.
The chapter ends with some heartbreak as Joan’s fears come to life. The man with the shadow who she knew death was coming for doesn’t survive.
Breaking down The Space Between Section 9
This section explains the title of the chapter. As Joan gets ready for her arrival in Paris, she and Michael talk. Michael uses this chance to ask Joan to pray for his wife, Lily. He would like her to pray for her soul, and Joan chastises herself for not seeing the pain that Michael is in. She spends a lot of time focusing on what she isn’t doing right rather than what she can do.
Michael explains that he lost his wife to influenza, and it was in between one heartbeat and the next. That’s where he searches for her now, which he calls, “the space between.” It’s a touching moment between the two, as it’s clear that they didn’t really know each other despite Jamie Fraser connecting them.
Michael then shares that he gave Laoghaire his address. This will allow Joan and Laoghaire to easily write to each other. There’s a peace that comes to Joan in this moment, knowing that she can still write to her family. I just love how Michael is willing to go out of his way, knowing what it’s like to be so far from family.
The peace doesn’t stay. Joan had seen the man with the shadow from below deck come upstairs with a darker shadow over his face. As he walks to the side of the ship, Joan wishes that the voices would talk to her in times of need. She prays, but it’s too late. The man goes overboard, and it seems like he does it on purpose.
Could this chapter be used in a TV adaptation?
If The Space Between was adapted, this would be the perfect section to develop. This could also be a great moment to incorporate some of the previous sections. We could see Michael explain how grief hits him to Joan in this moment.
This helps to develop the bond between Michael and Joan. It also gives us the storyline of how the shadows over faces get darker the closer someone gets to their time of death. So yes, I could see this section being developed.
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