Outlander

I got Outlander by Diana Gabaldon for Christmas. Normally, a gifted book gets read right away by me. However, Outlander is more than 800 pages long and since I own it, it kept getting shelved in favor of other more favorable (Read: shorter) selections. About a month or more ago, I started Outlander and got about 300 pages in. Then I had to take a break. It's just different from what I usually read and I needed to step away from it for a spell. But, I came back and persevered and I'm glad I did.

Going in, I had no idea Outlander was a story of time travel. Claire Randall is a nurse in late 1940's England. She is newly married to Frank, an academic. They find themselves in Scotland on a honeymoon of sorts following the war, when they've been separated for many years. On a walk through the woods, Claire happens upon a strange grouping of sculptures and somehow travels back in time to the 1700's. She is captured by a Scottish clan who eventually grow to trust her and her skills in medicine. During this time, she is also paired up with Jamie Fraser, in a long twisting set of circumstances. Their love blossoms throughout the story as they fight to keep each other alive.

Once again, that was kind of a lousy synopsis. This book is so long, it would be nearly impossuble to succinctly convey all the pertinent details to you. There is so much I'm leaving out, though the ommissions are intentional because I don't like to give away too much. It's a romance and historical fiction all rolled into one. There's a lot of fighting, a lot of sex, and a lot of plot. But, it's worth sticking with. So much so that I went out and bought the second installment and you know me, I never buy a book if I can't help it.