The year is 1772, and on the eve of the American Revolution, the long fuse of rebellion has already been lit. Men lie dead in the streets of Boston, and in the backwoods of North Carolina, isolated cabins burn in the forest.
With chaos brewing, the governor calls upon Jamie Fraser to unite the backcountry and safeguard the colony for King and Crown. But from his wife Jamie knows that three years hence the shot heard round the world will be fired, and the result will be independence — with those loyal to the King either dead or in exile. And there is also the matter of a tiny clipping from The Wilmington Gazette, dated 1776, which reports Jamie’s death, along with his kin. For once, he hopes, his time-traveling family may be wrong about the future. – Bantem Dell, Publisher
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After 980 pages, 124 chapters, and two epilogues I still want more. This is yet another great effort by Diana Gabaldon. I couldn’t put this one down and don’t expect I’ll ever have that problem with any of her books. I held my breath at times, screamed a resounding “NO!” when injustice rang out and kept my box of tissues handy during the tear-jerking moments. I just can’t get enough of Claire and Jamie’s story. I do like Roger and Brianna’s addition to the tale and found myself admiring Brianna’s spirit as she braves the 18th century. But I kind of know I’m going to get sucker punched, yet I do nothing to block the blow. What sucker punch? The end of the series, of course. I know it’s coming and I don’t want it to. I want these books to go on and on but I know that’s not possible. For one, Jamie and Claire are in their 50s; two, the years are flying by in the books (this book leaves us off in December, 1776); and three, Gabaldon has already stated the series will end in the 1800s. So yeah, not a happy camper.
I am a little on the fence about this one because although I loved it, I have qualms with some of the outcomes. I wanted more details regarding a few of the characters, like Gerald Forbes. He causes a bit of trouble and seemingly gets away with it. Then there’s Claire’s response to Jamie’s confessions. I expect her to be upset and thrash him at least once, but she seemingly forgets how to get angry and it just reads a bit unrealistic to me. I have to admit, one portion rang a bit familiar. The circumstances were not exactly the same, but Claire ends up in a situation similar to when she first met Jamie. That part made me think a bit—how different would things have been for Claire had she not run into the Highlanders she encountered? It was interesting to find Claire getting herself into trouble, yet again, but this time she’s not a 27-year-old.
These books are works of fiction rooted in truth. Gabaldon does a lot of research to ensure the accuracy of clothing, culture and the overall feel of the time. It just amazes me that we’ve come such a long way as a country. Throughout “A Breath of Snow and Ashes,” the beginnings of the Revolutionary War echo all through the pages like a haunting bell, chiming pending doom. But what echoes the loudest is the undying, unyielding, and never-ending love Jamie and Claire have for one another.
While reading “A Breath of Snow and Ashes,” I wanted to pop in my DVD of The Patriot. It takes place during the same time period and I kept getting flashes of scenes from the movie as a backdrop to Gabaldon’s world. Remember I said Gabaldon doesn’t forget to come back to something from a previous book? Well… we learn quite a few surprising things here. They have to do with the missing French gold, Stephen Bonnet, and Ian Murray. Oh yes, we learn a bit more detail about Ian’s time with the Mohawk, what mysteries surround the gold hidden by Hector Cameron and what becomes of the Irish pirate, Bonnet. I was surprised and I believe you will be too.
For more information on the books or the fabulous author, Diana Gabaldon, please visit her website at www.dianagabaldon.com.
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