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A review by mellied1975
The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
4.0
How is it possible for a 1400+ page novel to feel too short? These books go by so quickly - every time I hate to see them end. I feel like I could write something almost as long as the book itself, gushing about all the things I loved. I'll just mention a few highlights, though.
- The theme of parenthood and what really makes you someone's parent and them your child was lovely and so well done, with Roger and Jemmy being the most obvious example, of course. As much as Roger would love to be sure that Jemmy is his biological son, I truly believe that it doesn't matter to him and that's beautiful to see. He has a good example in Jamie, who is so willing to take on and love bairns other than his own natural born children and grandchildren. "It's blood of the heart, ken, not only the body" - loved that whole bit with him explaining the meaning of "a chuisle" to Claire. I also loved Jamie's willingness to adopt the abandoned Beardsley baby, as a way of giving Claire another child had she wished it. That exchange between him and Claire was touching.
- I finally grew to really like and even love Roger in this book, after feeling fairly neutral about him in the others. Poor wee Roger! Even though I thought the odds were low that he'd actually die, I was still so distraught during the hanging scene. It was horrifying. And even though he didn't die, what did happen to him was terrible enough. His beautiful voice! I feel like Roger really grew as a man and as a character in TFC, and it was interesting -- if painful -- to see that all play out.
- I liked all the doctoring Claire did in this book. It's fascinating to me to see how she manages to blend her 20th century medical knowledge with the limited resources she has in the 1700s. That she's managed to put penicillin to work, even in a limited way, is such a relief to me, and the injection method Bree came up with was so clever. Snakes are good for something, I guess.
- Speaking of snakes, Jamie's snakebite ordeal left me completely wrung out and terrified, even knowing that there was no way he was going to die at this point. Jamie's right -- he can't die yet, they need him. All the visitors who came to see him on his sickbed, the Bugs searching all the homesteads to gather mold for Claire's penicillin - so moving to see how much "himself" is loved by the people of Fraser's Ridge.
- Jocasta is really something, isn't she? Like Jamie, I would only trust her as far as I could throw her. The story of how her daughters died was totally heart-wrenching, though. I don't know how she didn't just murder Hector Cameron, to be honest. The temptation had to have been there. He seemed so heartless.
- I enjoyed all the "frontier life" stuff in the book. Visiting the Indians for the bear hunt, getting stuck outside in that terrifying lightning storm, all the dangers from buffalo and wild boar. Pioneer life is fascinating to me.
- Seeing the relationship between Jamie and Roger grow into real respect, friendship, and affection was one of my favorite things in TFC. The time they spent together and the things they went through really bonded them.
- Thank God Jenny forgave Jamie. Her letter made me cry. "Mother loved you always, Jamie, and when she kent she was dying, she called for me, and bade me care for you. As though I could ever stop."
- IAN IS BACK! Something else that made me cry, but such happy, happy tears. Dear Ian. I can't wait for more of his story, and to find out what happened to his Indian wife and their baby. Plus I kind of want sweet Lizzie to get to marry him, instead of her marrying that random guy she doesn't love.
- Jamie and Claire. As much as I'm enjoying the sweeping family saga the books have become, and as fond as I am of so many of the characters, Jamie and Claire are still the heart and soul of the story and the main reason why I care. Their relationship has to be one of the most beautiful and fully-realized fictional relationships ever created. "When the day shall come that we do part," he said softly, and turned to look at me, "if my last words are not 'I love you'-ye'll ken it was because I didna have time." ::sobs for ten minutes:: Seriously, I couldna love them more. Especially him.
- The theme of parenthood and what really makes you someone's parent and them your child was lovely and so well done, with Roger and Jemmy being the most obvious example, of course. As much as Roger would love to be sure that Jemmy is his biological son, I truly believe that it doesn't matter to him and that's beautiful to see. He has a good example in Jamie, who is so willing to take on and love bairns other than his own natural born children and grandchildren. "It's blood of the heart, ken, not only the body" - loved that whole bit with him explaining the meaning of "a chuisle" to Claire. I also loved Jamie's willingness to adopt the abandoned Beardsley baby, as a way of giving Claire another child had she wished it. That exchange between him and Claire was touching.
- I finally grew to really like and even love Roger in this book, after feeling fairly neutral about him in the others. Poor wee Roger! Even though I thought the odds were low that he'd actually die, I was still so distraught during the hanging scene. It was horrifying. And even though he didn't die, what did happen to him was terrible enough. His beautiful voice! I feel like Roger really grew as a man and as a character in TFC, and it was interesting -- if painful -- to see that all play out.
- I liked all the doctoring Claire did in this book. It's fascinating to me to see how she manages to blend her 20th century medical knowledge with the limited resources she has in the 1700s. That she's managed to put penicillin to work, even in a limited way, is such a relief to me, and the injection method Bree came up with was so clever. Snakes are good for something, I guess.
- Speaking of snakes, Jamie's snakebite ordeal left me completely wrung out and terrified, even knowing that there was no way he was going to die at this point. Jamie's right -- he can't die yet, they need him. All the visitors who came to see him on his sickbed, the Bugs searching all the homesteads to gather mold for Claire's penicillin - so moving to see how much "himself" is loved by the people of Fraser's Ridge.
- Jocasta is really something, isn't she? Like Jamie, I would only trust her as far as I could throw her. The story of how her daughters died was totally heart-wrenching, though. I don't know how she didn't just murder Hector Cameron, to be honest. The temptation had to have been there. He seemed so heartless.
- I enjoyed all the "frontier life" stuff in the book. Visiting the Indians for the bear hunt, getting stuck outside in that terrifying lightning storm, all the dangers from buffalo and wild boar. Pioneer life is fascinating to me.
- Seeing the relationship between Jamie and Roger grow into real respect, friendship, and affection was one of my favorite things in TFC. The time they spent together and the things they went through really bonded them.
- Thank God Jenny forgave Jamie. Her letter made me cry. "Mother loved you always, Jamie, and when she kent she was dying, she called for me, and bade me care for you. As though I could ever stop."
- IAN IS BACK! Something else that made me cry, but such happy, happy tears. Dear Ian. I can't wait for more of his story, and to find out what happened to his Indian wife and their baby. Plus I kind of want sweet Lizzie to get to marry him, instead of her marrying that random guy she doesn't love.
- Jamie and Claire. As much as I'm enjoying the sweeping family saga the books have become, and as fond as I am of so many of the characters, Jamie and Claire are still the heart and soul of the story and the main reason why I care. Their relationship has to be one of the most beautiful and fully-realized fictional relationships ever created. "When the day shall come that we do part," he said softly, and turned to look at me, "if my last words are not 'I love you'-ye'll ken it was because I didna have time." ::sobs for ten minutes:: Seriously, I couldna love them more. Especially him.