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PART 1---OUTLANDER

Inverness, 1945 Chapters 1-5
Pages 3-99 PB, Pages 1-71 HC
Study Questions...

1) What is your impression of Frank? of Claire?

2) When Claire and Frank are walking back from the Vicarage, they pass a "weathered Pictish
stone that...guard[ed] the crossroads it had marked for a thousand years." What do you think is
the significance, if any, of this stone?

3) When Frank sees a "ghost" looking at Claire's window, he suspects she might have been
unfaithful to him during the war. Do you think she was? Do you think Frank was unfaithful to
Claire during the war?

Chapter Two

1) What did you think of Mrs. Graham's "fortune telling"?

2) Do you think Frank is reluctant to adopt a child because of his great love for Claire, or is there
another reason?

3) Why do you think the stones at Craigh na Dun don't "hum" the first two times Claire visits
them?

Chapter Three

1) What would you do if you suddenly found yourself back in time? Do you think Claire
reacted/handled it well?

2) What was your very FIRST impression of Jamie?

Chapter Four

1) What was your reaction to "seeing" Jamie's back for the first time? Did it suprise you to find
out that Frank's ancestor had done that to Jamie?

2) What did you think when you realized that Jamie was attracted to Claire?

Chapter Five

1) What did you think of Claire's story to Colum to explain how she ended up with the Scots?
Would you have believed her?

PART 2----OUTLANDER

Castle Leoch Chapters 6-10 
Pages 103-199 PB, Pages
76-144 HC

Chapter Six - Colum's Hall

1) Why do you think Jamie took the beating for Loaghaire? Did you think it was honorable or
foolish?

2) Claire seems to have little difficulty "adapting" to castle life in the 18th century. Why do you
think this is? What would you find most difficult about adapting?

Chapter Seven - Davie Beaton's Closet

1) Who do you think hit Jamie on the head with an axe?

2) Why do you think it was so important to Claire to have a "useful" occupation?

Chapter Eight - An Evening's Entertainment

1) Do you think the "folk-tales" that Gwyllyn tells are all based on actual time travel through the
stones?

2) Claire teases Jamie about kissing Loaghaire in the alcove. Do you think her teasing is based
on her growing feelings for him, or is she actually as "disinterested" as she appears?

3) What impressions did you get about Jamie's parents and background based on what he told
Claire? Why do you think he told her about his past?

Chapter Nine - The Gathering

1) Why do you think Geillie tells Claire that young Hamish is rumored to be Jamie's son? Who
did you think was really Hamish's father?

2) What impressions did you get about Geillie's background?

3) After Jamie and Claire "rescue" the tanner's lad from the pillory, Jamie calls Claire "Mistress
Sassenach". How do you think Claire feels about the nickname?

Chapter Ten - The Oath Taking

1) Why do you think Jamie decided not to give Colum his oath? What do you think Claire
thought when he didn't?

2) Why do you think Dougal kissed Claire?

3) When you read that Claire thought she could get back "home" from Ft. William, were you
hoping she would succeed or fail? (your _first_ impression, please!!)

PART 3--OUTLANDER

ON THE ROAD Chapters 11-16
Pages 203-315 PB, Pages 147-230 HC
Study Questions...

Chapter 11 "Conversations with a Lawyer"
1. What are your impressions of Colum? Dougal? Ned Gowan?
2. How do you feel about how Dougal uses Jamie for the Stuart cause?

"I suppose Dougal can always tap-dance instead." - Claire to Jamie

Chapter 12 "The Garrison Commander"
3. What is your perception of Claire and Jamie's changing relationship? (He sleeps outside her
door for protection...)
4. How has Claire changed between her first and second encounter with Black Jack Randall (at
Fort William)?

"Your wig is crooked." - Claire to Jack Randall after he punches her.

Chapter 13 "A Marriage Is Announced"
5. How did you feel when first learning Claire and Jamie were to be married?
6. What is the significance of the Pictish cross being mentioned again?

(P.240 PB - Dougal stops at the crossroads with the Pictish cross and asks Claire if she is a spy and if so for whom.)
7. How did the description of Jamie's flogging affect you?

Jamie was my patient, and to some extent, my friend as well.- Claire's thoughts at the crossroads.

Chapter 14 "A Marriage Takes Place"
8. What was the best aspect of Claire and Jamie's wedding? The most romantic? The most
surprising?

"That bad, was it?" - Jamie to Claire after their wedding.

Chapter 15 "Revelations of the Bridal Chamber"
9. In what ways were both Jamie and Claire vulnerable on their wedding night?
10. How do you feel about the issue of honesty (and Claire's hesitancy)?

"Perhaps I am pretentious in saying so, but I would like to think that I am not many men,' and
that I dinna necessarily place my behavior at the lowest common denominator." - Jamie to Claire
on their wedding night

"Don't be afraid...There's the two of us now." - Jamie to Claire (who wonders why he has a knife
with him on his wedding night)

Chapter 16 "One Fine Day"
11. What is significant about Jamie catching the fish for Claire?


PART 3--OUTLANDER

ON THE ROAD Chapters 17- 23
Pages 316-440 PB, Pages 231-321 HC
Study Questions...

Chapter 17 "We Meet a Beggar"

1. How has Jamie and Claire's relationship changed since their wedding?

Chapter 18 "Raiders in the Rocks"

2. Do you feel Jamie is taking advantage of Claire by sleeping with her after the skirmish (when
the men are nearby)?

3. How did you feel about Claire's training in the art of how to dirk a man?

Chapter 19 "The Waterhorse"

4. Why was this incident at Loch Ness significant to the story?

Chapter 20 "Deserted Glades"

5. At this point in the story, do you see any significance in Claire receiving a dragonfly in amber
from Hugh Munro along with a poem?

Then let amorous kisses dwell
On our lips, begin and tell
A Thousand and a Hundred Score
A Hundred and a Thousand More

"...a bit more high-class than your usual fortune cookie." - Claire to Jamie

6. It is at this point that we learn that Dougal may have been the one to shoot Jamie in the head.
How does this change your feelings on Dougal?

7. When confronted, Claire has to kill a man to prevent him from raping her. Does it seem like
this act comes to easy to her?

8. After beginning to find happiness with Jamie, is it right for her to try to escape to Craigh Na
Dun? (Which occurs the day after they are attacked in the glade.)

Chapter 21 "Un Mauvais Quart d'Heure After Another"

9. Claire is bold enough to mess with the things in Randall's office and taunt him when he tries
to rape her. Was this a risk or did she feel confident enough to handle Randall? Or is she just
reckless?

10. After rescuing her, does Jamie treat her fairly in light of what she did?

Chapter 22 "Reckonings"

11. Was it right for Jamie to beat Claire?

12. At this point, what did you think was the significance of Alex MacGregor's Bible being in
Jamie's possession?

Chapter 23 "Return to Leoch"

13. Claire begins to feel indecision about leaving Jamie for the stone circle. With what we know
at this point, what would you have done if you were Claire?

14. Which love is stronger: Claire's love for Jamie, Claire's love for Frank, Or Jamie's love for
Claire?

"Seems I canna possess your soul without losing my own." - Jamie to Claire after giving her his
ring.

Part 4--Outlander

"A Whiff Of Brimstone"
Chapters 24 & 25

1. What are your impressions of the scene with Donas and Hamish?

2. How did you feel about Jamie's "facts-of-life" talk with Hamish?

3. Upon the first reading, who did you think the "ill-wish" that Claire found came from?

4. Why is Jamie so attractive to gay men? (Such as Sandringham)

5. How did you feel about the incident with the changeling?

6. What did you think of Geillis and Claire's conversation about witchcraft (note: Geillis has the
Grimoire of the Comte St. Germain)?

7. What did you think really happened when Geillis hypnotized Claire?

8. How did you feel about Claire and Geillis being put into the theives' hole at Cranesmuir (after
Claire was tricked)?

9. What are your impressions of Claire and Geillis' witch trial? (Is anyone familiar with The
Crucible by Arthur Miller? If so, did this remind you of it?)

10. How did you feel about Father Bain and Ned Gowan at the trial?

11. What did you think about Jamie's rescue of Claire and her subsequent revelation regarding
her origins? Jamie's reactions?

12. When Claire is taken back to the stones, what is your reaction? Was Jamie being noble or
testing her love for him?

13. If they had parted at the stones, would their goodbye have been enough for them?

14. How did you feel when Jamie announced that he was taking Claire home to Lallybroch

Part 5-- Outlander

"Lallybroch"
Chapters 26-33 (pages 567-672 PB & pages 417-496 HC)

1. While discussing Geillis' crimes and Claire's past, Jamie defines being a good husband as having money, a good position, and not beating his wife (in reference to Arthur Duncan). Does Jamie qualify as a good husband at this point?

2. First Impressions of Lallybroch?

3. What is your reaction to Jamie and Jenny's relationship?

4. What is your Impression of Ian?

5. This is our first real "domestic" glance at Jamie and Claire. What is your feeling about their
relationship at this point?

6. How do you feel about Grannie MacNab and the incident at the millpond?

7. We find out a alot about Jamies' s childhood at this point in the story. How do you think his
childhood experiences made him the man he is now....?

8. On Quarter Day, does Jamie seem like the one who is in charge or does Jenny?

9. After Jenny's baby is born, Jamie says to Claire that its just as well that she's barren because
he could not stand Claire's pain. Do you think he really means it?

10. When Jamie is taken by the watch, how does Jenny show her true character? Should she have
stayed with her newborn?

Wrap-up of Parts One Through Five- Outlander

1. What is the best plot development of the book so far?

2. Who is the most intriguing minor character so far?(i.e. - Ned Gowan, Mrs.
Graham)

3. Who is the most intriguing major character so far? (i.e. - Geillis,
Dougal, Colum, Black Jack, Jenny, Ian, etc.)

4. What is the best scene of the book so far?

5. Were there any parts of the plot that you did not like?

6. Were there any characters that you would just as soon not have met?

7. If you could have frozen Jamie and Claire at any moment in time of the
story, what would it have been?

8. What element of the story so far did you find the most surprising?




Part 6 and 7--Outlander 
"The Search" "Salvation"
Chapters 34-41 (pages 675-850 PB & pages 499-627 HC)

PART SIX - "THE SEARCH"

Chapter 34 - Dougal's Story

1. Do you think Claire and Murtagh's feelings about each other changed during their search for Jamie?

2. What did you think of Dougal's story and proposal?

3. Why do you think Rupert and the others joined Claire and Murtagh in the rescue attempt?

PART SEVEN - "SANCTUARY"

Chapter 35 - Wentworth Prison

4. How did you feel when you realized Jack Randall was at the prison?

5. What did you think when Randall let Claire go?

Chapter 36 - MacRannoch

6. What did you think of the rescue plan? Did you think it would work?

7. Did you think Jamie would recover from his experiences?

Chapter 37 - Escape

8. Do you think it was easy for Claire to kill the soldier?

Chapter 38 - The Abbey

9. How did Claire's feelings about the Church change at the Abbey?

Chapter 39 - To Ransom a Man's Soul

10. How did you feel when Jamie told Cliare about his rape and told her to go back to Frank?

11. What did you think of the "exorcism"?

Chapter 40 - Absolution

12. Do you think Father Anselm's absolution helped Claire? Did you agree with his conclusions
about her time travel?

Chpater 41 - From the Womb of the Earth

13. What did you think of the book's ending?