Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Century (2021), 928 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Romance. Historical Fiction. #1 New York Times bestselling author Diana Gabaldon returns with the newest novel in the epic Outlander series. The past may seem the safest place to be ... but it is the most dangerous time to be alive. ...Jamie Fraser and Claire Randall were torn apart by the Jacobite Rising in 1746, and it took them twenty years to find each other again. Now the American Revolution threatens to do the same. It is 1779 and Claire and Jamie are at last reunited with their daughter, Brianna, her husband, Roger, and their children on Fraser's Ridge. Having the family together is a dream the Frasers had thought impossible. Yet even in the North Carolina backcountry, the effects of war are being felt. Tensions in the Colonies are great and local feelings run hot enough to boil Hell's teakettle. Jamie knows loyalties among his tenants are split and it won't be long until the war is on his doorstep. Brianna and Roger have their own worry: that the dangers that provoked their escape from the twentieth century might catch up to them. Sometimes they question whether risking the perils of the 1700s�??among them disease, starvation, and an impending war�??was indeed the safer choice for their family. Not so far away, young William Ransom is still coming to terms with the discovery of his true father's identity�??and thus his own�??and Lord John Grey has reconciliations to make, and dangers to meet ... on his son's behalf, and his own. Meanwhile, the Revolutionary War creeps ever closer to Fraser's Ridge. And with the family finally together, Jamie and Claire have more at stake than… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member scoutmomskf
Loved it. After such a long wait, "Bees" arrived on my kindle. With a trans-Atlantic flight ahead of me, I waited to start until I was on the plane. I've never had a flight pass so quickly as that one did. Of course, I came nowhere near finishing the book, and in a great test of willpower, spread
The story picks up where the previous book left off, with the return of the MacKenzies to Fraser's Ridge. Claire and Jamie's happiness is evident, but so is their concern over what the future holds. Though Jamie resigned his commission in the Continental Army after Claire's injury in MOBY, they know that the war will eventually spread to their area. Jamie already sees the writing on the wall, as residents of the Ridge are split between Rebels and Loyalists. One particular resident, Captain Cunningham, will prove to be especially troublesome. It falls to Jamie to ensure the protection of his people, and he forms a militia company to do so. I loved the descriptions of his efforts to train them, including a hilarious riding lesson.
I've seen complaints from other readers that the relationship between Jamie and Claire is lacking in this book. I'm afraid I have to disagree. It is perhaps a little quieter but no less intense. Claire knows him well enough to understand when she needs to worry about him and when she can write his actions off as business as usual. At the same time, Jamie knows when to stay out of the way of Claire's medical work and when he can offer a bit of guidance. Jamie certainly knows that leaving her behind when he goes to fight is not an option. Both are haunted by the ghost of Frank Randall, thanks to his book that Brianna brought with her from the future. Knowledge of the upcoming battle at King's Mountain hangs over their heads.
Other happenings involving friends and family:
With the return of the MacKenzies, Brianna, Roger, Jem, and Mandy must readjust to life in the 18th century. Roger found his calling with the ministry and finally pursued his ordination as a Presbyterian minister. Religious life on the Ridge is as much entertainment as spiritual, and nearly everyone attends all services, including the Quaker meeting led by Ian's wife. Some of those scenes are pretty funny and go a long way toward encouraging tolerance of others' views. Brianna continues her work as an engineer helping her father and as an artist. Thanks to Lord John, she receives a commission to do a portrait in Savannah. I enjoyed the descriptions of her subject and the challenges she faced. It also put Brianna in the right place for an unexpected and frankly somewhat creepy portrait request. The descriptions of that event were so vivid that I felt as though I was there.
While in Savannah, Brianna had the opportunity to spend time with her half-brother, William. I liked his protectiveness toward his sister and his support during that weird portrait session. Brianna is aware of the strain between William and Jamie and uses the time to talk about Jamie. I laughed out loud when she told William about that particular sound he makes ("mmphm").
William matures a fair amount in this book. While he still hasn't quite come to terms with the truth about his parentage, he is getting closer. He is still just as determined to renounce his title and corrects anyone who refers to him by it. Since resigning from the British army, he's been at loose ends, so he takes on the investigation into his cousin Ben's reported death. This includes dealing with Ben's widow, Amaranthus. I freely admit that I do not like her or her hold on William. The shocking information he discovers about Ben could destroy the family, and her part in it made me dislike her even more.
I liked William's friendship with John Cinnamon, the half-Indian, half-white man he met while visiting the family's Virginia property. John was an interesting character, and his connection to Lord John made for some tense moments until the whole story came out. I loved Brianna's part in John's story and its effect on him.
During Roger and Brianna's trip to Savannah, they stopped briefly in Charles Town, South Carolina. The visit served a dual purpose. First, they returned Germaine to his parents, Fergus and Marsali. He lived on the Ridge while they all recovered from Henri-Christian's death. Fergus and Marsali run a successful printing business, working solidly on the side of the Americans. Fergus's connections make him the perfect person to help Roger and Bree acquire rifles for Jamie's militia. The descriptions of everything involved in this undertaking were, at times, scary and hilarious. There were some intense moments when Loyalists made their unhappiness with Fergus and his views plain. The danger motivates Fergus and family to relocate. Fergus also has another encounter with someone claiming to know the truth of his birth.
Other residents of the Ridge also have their challenges. Frances (Fanny), the girl William rescued in the previous book, lives with Jamie and Claire. It takes a long time for her to believe that she is safe with them and doesn't have to worry about her future. Her grief for her sister profoundly affects her life, and I ached for everything she experienced in her short life. She is an interesting mixture of innocence and experience, and some of the things she says are both funny and heartbreaking. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for her.
Life in the backwoods can be hazardous, and tragedy can strike without warning. The gruesome death of a young woman brought that danger home in a memorable scene. I ached for Bobby over the loss of his wife. In another scene, attending a difficult birth brings Claire closer to the manifestation of her full healing powers. It also brings another girl to the attention and guardianship of the Frasers.
Young Ian and Rachel have settled on the Ridge, along with Ian's mother, Jenny. Their love was as surprising as it was intense, and I enjoyed seeing their continuing adjustments to life together as Mohawk and Quaker. When Ian receives word that his first wife is now a widow and could be in danger, nothing will stop him from checking up on her. I loved that Rachel insisted on going with him, along with their baby and Jenny. I wasn't sure how that encounter would go, and I admit to being pleasantly surprised. The scene between Emily and Rachel was incredibly emotional, and I loved every moment of it. There was an interesting twist involving Jenny, and I look forward to seeing where it goes.
I also enjoyed seeing some minor characters from previous books make appearances. The Quaker woman and her daughters who helped Jamie in the last book are on his mind when Ian heads north. When Jamie asks Ian to check on her during his trip, Ian is shocked by what he finds. I loved his honor-fueled protectiveness and the actions it led to. It did somewhat complicate his life and journey. An unexpected twist ended with Mrs. Hardiman and her daughters traveling back to the Ridge. Ulysses (from River Run) was a less welcome visitor in a British uniform and bearing ill intentions toward Jamie.
Lord John and his brother Hal, Duke of Pardloe, have several appearances in this book. Hal's seniority in the army put him at the center of the action. His views on the war don't necessarily match those of his compatriots. I liked his devotion to his family and ached over the effect of Ben's actions on him. John's relationship with William continues to be strained over the revelations of his parenthood. The same goes for his friendship with Jamie, thanks to John's brief marriage to Claire. Strained or not, John is there for William when he's needed, and there is never a doubt about how much he cares for William. John's past comes back to bite him when he's kidnapped in an attempt to influence Hal's plans for a trip to England.
Double agent (but for whom?) Richardson makes another appearance. This time he has an agenda of his own that he will do anything to advance. William is especially disturbed by Richardson's statement that he knows Brianna and the hint of an underlying threat. A rough sketch done by William and shown to Brianna makes the unthinkable not only possible but terrifyingly real.
The book ended in a cliffhanger with Lord John still a captive and William searching for help to save him. I hope that the next book doesn't take as long as this one did. I need to know what happens!
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the reading over the next week. This allowed me to savor what I'd read before moving on to the following chapters. The book never disappointed me, though I admit to a few bouts of frustration while reading. One of the biggest things I noticed about this book is that it doesn't move from one crisis to another as many earlier books did. It is more character-driven, with time spent watching those characters grow, change, adjust, and generally deal with day-to-day life and life-changing situations.The story picks up where the previous book left off, with the return of the MacKenzies to Fraser's Ridge. Claire and Jamie's happiness is evident, but so is their concern over what the future holds. Though Jamie resigned his commission in the Continental Army after Claire's injury in MOBY, they know that the war will eventually spread to their area. Jamie already sees the writing on the wall, as residents of the Ridge are split between Rebels and Loyalists. One particular resident, Captain Cunningham, will prove to be especially troublesome. It falls to Jamie to ensure the protection of his people, and he forms a militia company to do so. I loved the descriptions of his efforts to train them, including a hilarious riding lesson.
I've seen complaints from other readers that the relationship between Jamie and Claire is lacking in this book. I'm afraid I have to disagree. It is perhaps a little quieter but no less intense. Claire knows him well enough to understand when she needs to worry about him and when she can write his actions off as business as usual. At the same time, Jamie knows when to stay out of the way of Claire's medical work and when he can offer a bit of guidance. Jamie certainly knows that leaving her behind when he goes to fight is not an option. Both are haunted by the ghost of Frank Randall, thanks to his book that Brianna brought with her from the future. Knowledge of the upcoming battle at King's Mountain hangs over their heads.
Other happenings involving friends and family:
With the return of the MacKenzies, Brianna, Roger, Jem, and Mandy must readjust to life in the 18th century. Roger found his calling with the ministry and finally pursued his ordination as a Presbyterian minister. Religious life on the Ridge is as much entertainment as spiritual, and nearly everyone attends all services, including the Quaker meeting led by Ian's wife. Some of those scenes are pretty funny and go a long way toward encouraging tolerance of others' views. Brianna continues her work as an engineer helping her father and as an artist. Thanks to Lord John, she receives a commission to do a portrait in Savannah. I enjoyed the descriptions of her subject and the challenges she faced. It also put Brianna in the right place for an unexpected and frankly somewhat creepy portrait request. The descriptions of that event were so vivid that I felt as though I was there.
While in Savannah, Brianna had the opportunity to spend time with her half-brother, William. I liked his protectiveness toward his sister and his support during that weird portrait session. Brianna is aware of the strain between William and Jamie and uses the time to talk about Jamie. I laughed out loud when she told William about that particular sound he makes ("mmphm").
William matures a fair amount in this book. While he still hasn't quite come to terms with the truth about his parentage, he is getting closer. He is still just as determined to renounce his title and corrects anyone who refers to him by it. Since resigning from the British army, he's been at loose ends, so he takes on the investigation into his cousin Ben's reported death. This includes dealing with Ben's widow, Amaranthus. I freely admit that I do not like her or her hold on William. The shocking information he discovers about Ben could destroy the family, and her part in it made me dislike her even more.
I liked William's friendship with John Cinnamon, the half-Indian, half-white man he met while visiting the family's Virginia property. John was an interesting character, and his connection to Lord John made for some tense moments until the whole story came out. I loved Brianna's part in John's story and its effect on him.
During Roger and Brianna's trip to Savannah, they stopped briefly in Charles Town, South Carolina. The visit served a dual purpose. First, they returned Germaine to his parents, Fergus and Marsali. He lived on the Ridge while they all recovered from Henri-Christian's death. Fergus and Marsali run a successful printing business, working solidly on the side of the Americans. Fergus's connections make him the perfect person to help Roger and Bree acquire rifles for Jamie's militia. The descriptions of everything involved in this undertaking were, at times, scary and hilarious. There were some intense moments when Loyalists made their unhappiness with Fergus and his views plain. The danger motivates Fergus and family to relocate. Fergus also has another encounter with someone claiming to know the truth of his birth.
Other residents of the Ridge also have their challenges. Frances (Fanny), the girl William rescued in the previous book, lives with Jamie and Claire. It takes a long time for her to believe that she is safe with them and doesn't have to worry about her future. Her grief for her sister profoundly affects her life, and I ached for everything she experienced in her short life. She is an interesting mixture of innocence and experience, and some of the things she says are both funny and heartbreaking. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for her.
Life in the backwoods can be hazardous, and tragedy can strike without warning. The gruesome death of a young woman brought that danger home in a memorable scene. I ached for Bobby over the loss of his wife. In another scene, attending a difficult birth brings Claire closer to the manifestation of her full healing powers. It also brings another girl to the attention and guardianship of the Frasers.
Young Ian and Rachel have settled on the Ridge, along with Ian's mother, Jenny. Their love was as surprising as it was intense, and I enjoyed seeing their continuing adjustments to life together as Mohawk and Quaker. When Ian receives word that his first wife is now a widow and could be in danger, nothing will stop him from checking up on her. I loved that Rachel insisted on going with him, along with their baby and Jenny. I wasn't sure how that encounter would go, and I admit to being pleasantly surprised. The scene between Emily and Rachel was incredibly emotional, and I loved every moment of it. There was an interesting twist involving Jenny, and I look forward to seeing where it goes.
I also enjoyed seeing some minor characters from previous books make appearances. The Quaker woman and her daughters who helped Jamie in the last book are on his mind when Ian heads north. When Jamie asks Ian to check on her during his trip, Ian is shocked by what he finds. I loved his honor-fueled protectiveness and the actions it led to. It did somewhat complicate his life and journey. An unexpected twist ended with Mrs. Hardiman and her daughters traveling back to the Ridge. Ulysses (from River Run) was a less welcome visitor in a British uniform and bearing ill intentions toward Jamie.
Lord John and his brother Hal, Duke of Pardloe, have several appearances in this book. Hal's seniority in the army put him at the center of the action. His views on the war don't necessarily match those of his compatriots. I liked his devotion to his family and ached over the effect of Ben's actions on him. John's relationship with William continues to be strained over the revelations of his parenthood. The same goes for his friendship with Jamie, thanks to John's brief marriage to Claire. Strained or not, John is there for William when he's needed, and there is never a doubt about how much he cares for William. John's past comes back to bite him when he's kidnapped in an attempt to influence Hal's plans for a trip to England.
Double agent (but for whom?) Richardson makes another appearance. This time he has an agenda of his own that he will do anything to advance. William is especially disturbed by Richardson's statement that he knows Brianna and the hint of an underlying threat. A rough sketch done by William and shown to Brianna makes the unthinkable not only possible but terrifyingly real.
The book ended in a cliffhanger with Lord John still a captive and William searching for help to save him. I hope that the next book doesn't take as long as this one did. I need to know what happens!
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LibraryThing member MickyFine
With Bree, Roger, Jem, and Mandy returned to the past and Fraser's Ridge, Jamie and Claire are satisfied to be home again with so much of their family around them. As the Frasers work to build a new house on the Ridge, they settle back into life in the back country but even there they are not
Dramas big and small are scattered throughout the latest Outlander chunkster, with plenty of quieter domestic moments that filled my heart with cozy feels. All of these characters are so dear to me now that whatever Gabaldon cares to share about their lives I will eat up with the spoon whether it's Jamie and Claire or another member of the increasingly large Fraser clan. With the knowledge at the back of my mind that Gabaldon has stated this is the penultimate book in the series, several plot points feel even more fraught knowing there's only so much space left to resolve them. Several surprises crop up throughout the novel that had me gasping aloud in shock and occasional delight, including the mild cliffhanger of the ending. Fans of the series should be very pleased with this entry.
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completely safe from the ongoing Revolutionary War as conflicts between Loyalists and Rebels come to a head. As a series of events cause some of their family to travel away from the Ridge for periods of time, Jamie and Claire remain behind and must grapple with the knowledge that the war will touch their lives in the mountains, thanks to information from one of Frank Randall's books that Bree brought back from the future. At the same time, William continues to struggle to figure out who he is now that he knows who his natural father is, while at the same time doing his own work to keep various members of Lord John Grey's family safe. As everyone strives to make it through the war relatively unscathed, there is also the lurking fear that the dangers that forced Bree, Roger, and the kids to seek refuge in the past may eventually follow them through the stones.Dramas big and small are scattered throughout the latest Outlander chunkster, with plenty of quieter domestic moments that filled my heart with cozy feels. All of these characters are so dear to me now that whatever Gabaldon cares to share about their lives I will eat up with the spoon whether it's Jamie and Claire or another member of the increasingly large Fraser clan. With the knowledge at the back of my mind that Gabaldon has stated this is the penultimate book in the series, several plot points feel even more fraught knowing there's only so much space left to resolve them. Several surprises crop up throughout the novel that had me gasping aloud in shock and occasional delight, including the mild cliffhanger of the ending. Fans of the series should be very pleased with this entry.
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LibraryThing member nbmars
This is the 9th book in the Outlander Series, following Written in My Own Heart’s Blood, which came out in 2014.
The plot takes us back to Fraser's Ridge, where Jamie and Claire have most of their family back and are rebuilding a house after their last one was destroyed by fire. We are halfway
In particular, they are concerned about the upcoming battle at Kings Mountain, South Carolina, which was to take place on October 7, 1780. They know the Americans prevailed, but at a cost, and Jamie is convinced he will be among the dead when it is all over. The American victory turned the tide of the war, but prior to that battle, it was not looking good for the Patriots. Charleston and Savannah were in the hands of the British, and there were even Loyalists among those who lived on Fraser’s Ridge, threatening the harmony of the settlement and the safety of Jamie and his family.
In alternate chapters, we learn what is going on in Charles Town with Fergus and Marshali, and in Savannah with Lord John Grey, his brother Hal, and the son William that John shares with Jamie. We also follow Ian and his family (including his mother Jenny now) up to New York to learn the fate of his first wife and the son he possibly had with her.
Through it all, we get many minute details of life in that time period, and of the health issues Claire has to deal with as a healer.
Some of the events that arise are unresolved, so readers will have to wait until the next installment to find out what happens next. Indeed, the book ended with a cliffhanger, a rather unfortunate development given that each book takes quite a long time to write.
Evaluation: It’s hard to evaluate this book objectively, because it’s good to get back together with friends and family, metaphorically speaking, no matter what the quality of the book. I did have to refer to the fan Wiki for the series a lot at first, to catch up on who everyone was and what their stories were. One wouldn’t want to fault Gabaldon for not providing more background, however; after all, the book was long enough as it was. And yet, because readers love the characters, somehow not long enough.
I should note her writing elicited my usual objections to her treatment of Jews, Blacks, and gays, which, given many of the characters background in the more (but not totally) enlightened future, did not seem warranted.
The plot takes us back to Fraser's Ridge, where Jamie and Claire have most of their family back and are rebuilding a house after their last one was destroyed by fire. We are halfway
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through the American Revolution, and up to this point, Fraser’s Ridge has been spared, but they all know it is just a matter of time until the conflict impacts their lives more directly. They have much more information than they did before; since Bree and Roger returned from the future, they can now consult Frank Randall’s history of the conflict in the South.In particular, they are concerned about the upcoming battle at Kings Mountain, South Carolina, which was to take place on October 7, 1780. They know the Americans prevailed, but at a cost, and Jamie is convinced he will be among the dead when it is all over. The American victory turned the tide of the war, but prior to that battle, it was not looking good for the Patriots. Charleston and Savannah were in the hands of the British, and there were even Loyalists among those who lived on Fraser’s Ridge, threatening the harmony of the settlement and the safety of Jamie and his family.
In alternate chapters, we learn what is going on in Charles Town with Fergus and Marshali, and in Savannah with Lord John Grey, his brother Hal, and the son William that John shares with Jamie. We also follow Ian and his family (including his mother Jenny now) up to New York to learn the fate of his first wife and the son he possibly had with her.
Through it all, we get many minute details of life in that time period, and of the health issues Claire has to deal with as a healer.
Some of the events that arise are unresolved, so readers will have to wait until the next installment to find out what happens next. Indeed, the book ended with a cliffhanger, a rather unfortunate development given that each book takes quite a long time to write.
Evaluation: It’s hard to evaluate this book objectively, because it’s good to get back together with friends and family, metaphorically speaking, no matter what the quality of the book. I did have to refer to the fan Wiki for the series a lot at first, to catch up on who everyone was and what their stories were. One wouldn’t want to fault Gabaldon for not providing more background, however; after all, the book was long enough as it was. And yet, because readers love the characters, somehow not long enough.
I should note her writing elicited my usual objections to her treatment of Jews, Blacks, and gays, which, given many of the characters background in the more (but not totally) enlightened future, did not seem warranted.
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LibraryThing member queencersei
I never thought I would give a Diana Gabaldon book a low two star rating, but here it is. Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone is by far the weakest installment of the Outlander series to date. 880 pages of filler. Seemingly every minor side-character is reintroduced and and given chapters of page time,
Spoilers below - if you want to skip this book (and I highly recommend you do)
Jamie's moonlighting as a rebel has not gone unnoticed and his land deed has been revoked. Not that he has any intention of leaving the ridge. Claire comes further into her healing magic. Breanna gives birth to a third baby, wee Davy who may not be a time traveler. William has an ill-advised flirtation with his cousin Ben's wife, Aramantha. Young Ian collects his son from his native American wife, Emily. Emily names Rachel and Ian's baby Hunter. The American Revolution continues to creep into the ridge. And finally, Lord John manages to get kidnapped .
And that's it. Now your caught up.
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while long-time characters like Fergus and Marseli are barely mentioned. The book lacks a plot and focus. It reads like Diana Gabaldon pulled unpublished chapters from her previous books out of a trunk, strung them together and viola! Disappointing doesn't begin to cover it. The worst part is that she is better then this. I don't know if she is under contract and has to write a certain number of books, hence this one. But frankly, this book was a mistake. It could have easily been streamlined down to 300 pages. And a far superior book that would have been. I'll read the next book because it is supposed to be the last one and I want to see how Jamie and Claire's story ends. But this series needs to end.Spoilers below - if you want to skip this book (and I highly recommend you do)
Jamie's moonlighting as a rebel has not gone unnoticed and his land deed has been revoked. Not that he has any intention of leaving the ridge. Claire comes further into her healing magic. Breanna gives birth to a third baby, wee Davy who may not be a time traveler. William has an ill-advised flirtation with his cousin Ben's wife, Aramantha. Young Ian collects his son from his native American wife, Emily. Emily names Rachel and Ian's baby Hunter. The American Revolution continues to creep into the ridge. And finally, Lord John manages to get kidnapped .
And that's it. Now your caught up.
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LibraryThing member BoundTogetherForGood
This is the first of her books that I have had to wait to be published. I may have arrived late to her Fandom. But I finished all of her novels before that show was released in August of 2014.
I truly enjoyed this book.
I truly enjoyed this book.
LibraryThing member N.W.Moors
I've read all Ms. Gabaldon's books as they came out, but I haven't been that engaged with the last few. Still, I want to find out the ending to the series. Unfortunately, this book wasn't it, so I guess I'll have to wait some more.
This is a long book that covers roughly two years during the
I think the story has also gotten repetitive. There are only so many times someone can die and come back (yes, I know Jamie supposedly has nine lives from a prophecy) without losing any sense of real stakes when they go into danger again. At least, no one was raped in this one.
I saw that the next book is supposed to be the last in the series though she's also working on a prequel novel. I was in my forties when the first book came out, but at this rate, I have no expectation of finding out why Jamie was outside Claire's window. I'm crossing my fingers, but...
This is a long book that covers roughly two years during the
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American Revolution. It reads more like a journal or diary that gives the reader details of the weather, the daily chores and events, and little details about the writer. I read them sometimes for genealogical work, and they're certainly interesting for familial information but otherwise not especially engaging. Ms. Gabaldon also writes lovely prose, but there's just too much of it where nothing much happens. I think the story has also gotten repetitive. There are only so many times someone can die and come back (yes, I know Jamie supposedly has nine lives from a prophecy) without losing any sense of real stakes when they go into danger again. At least, no one was raped in this one.
I saw that the next book is supposed to be the last in the series though she's also working on a prequel novel. I was in my forties when the first book came out, but at this rate, I have no expectation of finding out why Jamie was outside Claire's window. I'm crossing my fingers, but...
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LibraryThing member JorgeousJotts
This is perhaps my second favorite of the series after the first book, Outlander. The story is growing more far reaching each book, but Gabaldon did a good job still helping it feel grounded in the main characters and not too drawn out. She also did a decent job reminding the reader of different
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need-to-know aspects from earlier books in case it's been a while. Show Less
LibraryThing member cbloky
just another great installment in the outlander series, continued adventure of the regular characters, with a bunch of new ones entering and some old ones coming back. now time to sit back and wait for the next and sadly supposely the last book.
LibraryThing member hobbitprincess
It took a long time to read this because I was reading other books at the same time. It wasn't hard to put down for a while since I've come to know the characters so well, plus the internet was helpful if my memory needed jogging. A lot of the first half of the book was spent connecting this book
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to events and characters in the other 8 books. It moved slow at first. Families come back together, new family members enter the picture, neighbors leave when they back the wrong side in the American Revolution, and Jamie is caught up in all of that once again. The book ends with several subplots hanging, of course, which was to be expected. I am again amazed at just how much Jamie has to endure at the hands of the author! I want to tell her to give the poor guy a break in the next book, which is rumored to be the last one in the series. The second half was better than the first and more happened to bring the story forward. I will eagerly await book #10, although I know it will be a few years. Show Less
LibraryThing member DrApple
This was just too long with too many characters for me to truly enjoy tt.
LibraryThing member gypsysmom
Each book in the Outlander series contains so much information that I am never sure how to review one. In the first place, in what genre do these books fit? Because of the time travel aspect I am tempted to choose science fiction except that there is really no scientific basis for what Gabaldon
As I said, this book takes place in 1779 and 1780. Jamie, Claire, Brianna and Roger are together in Fraser's Ridge, North Carolina as Brianna and Roger made their way back in time with their two children at the end of the last book. These main characters are all supporters of the Revolution but there are other people living in the vicinity who are Loyalists. This will create problems in the months to come. Lord John Grey and his brother Hal are headquartered in Savannah with the British army. William, raised by Lord John but fathered by Jamie as William discovered in the last book, arrives in Savannah together with his friend John Cinnamon. John Cinnamon is under the mistaken impression that Lord John is his father. Lord John disabuses him of that notion but does tell him who is father is. Living with Lord John is Amaranthus who was married to Hal's son, Ben, and has had his child. Ben has been declared dead but William, who found another man's body in his grave in the last book, has doubts whether is actually is. William and John Cinnamon decide to stay in Savannah and Lord John thinks it would be a good opportunity for Brianna and William to get to know each other. He sends an invitation to Jamie asking for Brianna to come to Savannah to paint the portrait of a wealthy man's wife. Brianna, Roger and the children decide to go, taking Germain, Fergus and Marsali's oldest child, with them to return him to his parents in Charles Town. They are also taking a goodly amount of gold with them to enable Fergus to acquire guns for Jamie's militia requirements. Jamie's nephew, Ian, with his wife, Rachel and Jamie's sister Jenny take off in the other direction to New York to check on Ian's Mohawk ex-wife who was reported to be ill and might have died leaving several offspring parentless. Battles are fought, sieges are made, people die and are injured and through it all people have to eat and give birth and make love. At the end of the book all the main characters are still alive but Lord John is very much in danger. We'll have to wait for the next book to discover his fate. It looks like William is going to get to know Jamie very much more.
The title of the book refers to the advice an old peddler gives Claire when he brings her a hive of bees. He tells her "...that you got to talk to 'em regular...So you tell 'em what's happening--if someone's come a-visitin', if a new babe's been born, if anybody new was to settle or a settler depart--or die. See, if somebody leaves or dies and you don't tell the bees, they take offense, and the whole lot of 'em will fly right off." I wonder how many modern bee-keepers continue this tradition.
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imagines the mechanism to be. So is it fantasy? Perhaps, but there are no mythical beings or magic which is what I always think fantasy should include. Is it historical fiction? Possibly, at least in the case of this book which is set in 1779 and 1780 during the American Revolution, but some of the books have bounced between more contemporary times and historic times. I see that LibraryThing also categorizes it as romance but I think that does a disservice to all of the historical research that has gone into making this book. If I had to choose one genre it probably would be historical fiction but perhaps it is just best to categorize it as "Fiction and Literature".As I said, this book takes place in 1779 and 1780. Jamie, Claire, Brianna and Roger are together in Fraser's Ridge, North Carolina as Brianna and Roger made their way back in time with their two children at the end of the last book. These main characters are all supporters of the Revolution but there are other people living in the vicinity who are Loyalists. This will create problems in the months to come. Lord John Grey and his brother Hal are headquartered in Savannah with the British army. William, raised by Lord John but fathered by Jamie as William discovered in the last book, arrives in Savannah together with his friend John Cinnamon. John Cinnamon is under the mistaken impression that Lord John is his father. Lord John disabuses him of that notion but does tell him who is father is. Living with Lord John is Amaranthus who was married to Hal's son, Ben, and has had his child. Ben has been declared dead but William, who found another man's body in his grave in the last book, has doubts whether is actually is. William and John Cinnamon decide to stay in Savannah and Lord John thinks it would be a good opportunity for Brianna and William to get to know each other. He sends an invitation to Jamie asking for Brianna to come to Savannah to paint the portrait of a wealthy man's wife. Brianna, Roger and the children decide to go, taking Germain, Fergus and Marsali's oldest child, with them to return him to his parents in Charles Town. They are also taking a goodly amount of gold with them to enable Fergus to acquire guns for Jamie's militia requirements. Jamie's nephew, Ian, with his wife, Rachel and Jamie's sister Jenny take off in the other direction to New York to check on Ian's Mohawk ex-wife who was reported to be ill and might have died leaving several offspring parentless. Battles are fought, sieges are made, people die and are injured and through it all people have to eat and give birth and make love. At the end of the book all the main characters are still alive but Lord John is very much in danger. We'll have to wait for the next book to discover his fate. It looks like William is going to get to know Jamie very much more.
The title of the book refers to the advice an old peddler gives Claire when he brings her a hive of bees. He tells her "...that you got to talk to 'em regular...So you tell 'em what's happening--if someone's come a-visitin', if a new babe's been born, if anybody new was to settle or a settler depart--or die. See, if somebody leaves or dies and you don't tell the bees, they take offense, and the whole lot of 'em will fly right off." I wonder how many modern bee-keepers continue this tradition.
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LibraryThing member bblum
I love Jamie and Claire but this was long and boring. Watch the Starz TV series.
LibraryThing member mom2lnb
Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone is the ninth book in Diana Gabaldon’s wildly popular Outlander series. This one spans more than a year and a half from June 1779 to February 1781. Just returned from the future, Bree and Roger and their kids settle back into life on Fraser’s Ridge. The first good
Jamie and Claire will always and forever be the backbone of this series. However, rather than them being involved in some type of wartime dealings or battles, this volume sees them mostly living quietly on the ridge. That’s not to say that there isn’t trouble, because unfortunately it does tend to follow them around. When Bree returned from the future, she brought along her other father’s book about the history of Scots in North Carolina that had just been published before she left. As Jamie reads this book, he gets the eerie feeling that Frank Randall is talking directly to him. Between the book and his time traveling family members’ knowledge of what’s to come, he knows that eventually even the ridge won’t be safe from the Revolutionary War and that a battle will soon be fought not far from the ridge. Frank’s book also makes mention of someone named James Fraser who dies in that battle. Never one to shirk away from such things, Jamie sets about strategizing how to handle what the future holds, which involves him creating a small militia unit and deciding how to utilize them. Meanwhile, some new tenants on the ridge who are Loyalists start stirring a bit of trouble for Jamie, which he manages to evade but not without getting hurt. Ultimately though, it’s the upcoming battle on King’s Mountain in which fate will decide whether Jamie lives or dies.
While probably more than fifty percent of the story is told from Jamie and Claire’s perspectives, many other characters have their own POV scenes. Most prominent of these is Brianna and Roger. After returning from the future, they and their children, Jem and Mandy, spend a good deal of time simply settling back into life on the ridge and getting reacquainted with their family and friends there. Roger decides to finally pursue formal ordination as a Presbyterian minister, which takes them on a journey to Charles Town, where they meet up with Fergus and Marsali who are still publishing their newspaper. Jamie has tasked Fergus with obtaining guns for his new militia and Roger and Bree smuggle them back home in a creative way. From there they travel to Savannah, where Lord John has gotten Bree a commission to paint a portrait for a friend of his. They spend several months in Savannah, during which Bree is able to become acquainted with her half-brother, William, something that Lord John and Jamie were both hoping would happen. Roger accidentally gets swept up in a Revolutionary war battle in Savannah, while Bree also agrees to paint a portrait of a fallen rebel officer. But eventually the pair return home, where Roger follows Jamie into battle on King’s Mountain. And then, by the end, it appears that the future may have caught up to them in the past when someone who’d previously caused trouble for them shows up.
William is another prominent POV character. He’s still struggling with his identity crisis, and since he now knows that he’s actually a bastard, he’s strongly considering the possibility of abdicating his title as the Earl of Ellesmere, something that his Uncle Hal tells him won’t be easy to do. While contemplating his life, he spends a great deal of time traveling around. First, he’s off searching for his cousin, Ben, who he’s pretty sure isn’t dead after finding an imposter in Ben’s supposed grave. William’s journey takes him to Mount Josiah plantation, which has seen better days, and there he meets up with Lord John’s friend and sometimes lover, Manoke, as well as John Cinnamon, the illegitimate son of Lord John’s erstwhile cousin-in-law, Malcolm Stubbs, who John has been providing for. Because of this, John Cinnamon thinks that Lord John may be his father, so he accompanies William back to Savannah in search of his parent, and along the way, the two become friends. Back in Savannah, William meets Ben’s supposed widow, Amaranthus, and her child. Amaranthus makes a rather scandalous proposal, which tempts William, but before anything happens between them, he’s off on another journey, this time in search of his cousin, Dorothea, whose husband, Denny, has been taken captive and imprisoned by British forces. What he finds when he arrives is anything but what he expected. And later, after returning once again to Savannah and finding that Amaranthus has left, he goes searching for her as well, but comes back from that journey to find Lord John missing.
Additional POV characters include Ian and Rachel, who initially are just enjoying life on the ridge with Ian’s mother, Jenny, and their new son, nicknamed Oggy, until they can find just the right name for him. However, Ian receives distressing news about an attack on the Mohawk village where his ex-wife, Emily, lives. Concerned for the welfare of Emily and her children, Ian decides to travel North to check on them, and Rachel and Jenny insist on accompanying him. Rachel is a bit nervous about meeting Ian’s former flame, but all works out in the end. While there, they pay a visit to Joseph Brant, a college-educated Native American who once traveled to England to meet the King and who was an influential leader among the Iroquois. Jamie also tasks Ian with checking in on Silvia, the Quaker mother of three daughters who assisted Jamie at the beginning of the previous book, and as it turns out, she’s desperately in need of help which Ian gladly provides.
The final perspective we get is Lord John’s. He and his brother, Hal, are still trying to track down Hal’s son, Ben, while caring for his “widow,” Amaranthus, and her infant son. The two men are also involved in a major battle for Savannah, which the British win for now. John meets his charge, John Cinnamon, and tells the young man the truth about his parentage. John’s step-brother and erstwhile lover, Percy, shows up again, seemingly wanting to rekindle a relationship with John, although he also still has designs on Fergus, wanting Fergus to claim his birthright as the supposed son of the Compte St. Germain. Then there’s the sneaky Ezekiel Richardson who isn’t exactly who he seems and who may be a double, or perhaps even triple, agent possessing lots of information and dirt on a variety of different people, including a knowledge of John’s same-sex relationships which could get John hanged. However, what Richardson really wants is rather surprising, but until the man can get it, John finds himself Richardson's prisoner, leading to a bit of a cliffhanger ending.
Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone was another engaging installment of the Outlander series that I very much enjoyed. It’s a bit slower than some of the other books, because Jamie and Claire and company aren’t involved in as much action and adventure in this one. There are battles and skirmishes that they get caught up in, but they’re fewer and farther between than in most of the previous books. Except for the battle on King’s Mountain, Jamie and Claire stay put on Fraser’s Ridge, finishing their new house, and just enjoying a relatively quiet life. It’s the younger generation who find themselves in farther flung locales and getting into a bit more trouble. That’s not to say that there aren’t some new developments for our favorite romantic couple. They temporarily take in another foster child, and perhaps even more importantly, Claire discovers some unexpected newfound powers that could make a big difference moving forward. Then there’s the whole time travel aspect, which seems to be unraveling as more people learn about it, and new characters are entrusted with Claire’s (and Bree’s and Rogers’s) secret. I look forward to seeing where this all goes. I was a little disappointed that we didn’t get to see more of Fergus and Marsali and Denny and Dottie (I love both of these couples), but given how far away from the ridge they are, I guess it was to be expected. I do love, though, that Ms. Gabaldon never really forgets any characters and how ones that might not have been seen for a while, sometimes pop up again, giving readers new opportunities to learn more about them. Such is the case with Silvia and her daughters, as well as Emily and her oldest son who we’d previously been led to believe might be Ian’s. As always, I had a good time reading this new chapter in the Outlander saga. Even if it was a bit slower than most, it was still very enjoyable. I just love inhabiting this world, but now that I’m almost fully caught up (except for a couple of side novellas), it’s going to be a torturous wait for the next book, which could be several more years in the making.:-(
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chunk of the book encompasses interactions between Jamie and Claire and their family and friends on the ridge. The Revolutionary War is still fairly distant, but coming closer by the day. Some of the residents of the ridge are Loyalists and as tensions begin to mount, Jamie considers creating a partisan band (aka militia group) to help protect the ridge during the battle he knows is coming. Claire as usual deals with her fair share of medical issues. Eventually Roger and Bree and Ian and Rachel travel away from their homes on the ridge, each couple dealing with their own personal matters, but of course, in time, return to Jamie and Claire’s open arms. Elsewhere Lord John and William continue their search for John’s nephew, Ben, who’s been missing for some time. By the end, Lord John is tricked by a ne’er-do-well who knows of John’s proclivities and plans to use them against him if his demands aren’t met.Jamie and Claire will always and forever be the backbone of this series. However, rather than them being involved in some type of wartime dealings or battles, this volume sees them mostly living quietly on the ridge. That’s not to say that there isn’t trouble, because unfortunately it does tend to follow them around. When Bree returned from the future, she brought along her other father’s book about the history of Scots in North Carolina that had just been published before she left. As Jamie reads this book, he gets the eerie feeling that Frank Randall is talking directly to him. Between the book and his time traveling family members’ knowledge of what’s to come, he knows that eventually even the ridge won’t be safe from the Revolutionary War and that a battle will soon be fought not far from the ridge. Frank’s book also makes mention of someone named James Fraser who dies in that battle. Never one to shirk away from such things, Jamie sets about strategizing how to handle what the future holds, which involves him creating a small militia unit and deciding how to utilize them. Meanwhile, some new tenants on the ridge who are Loyalists start stirring a bit of trouble for Jamie, which he manages to evade but not without getting hurt. Ultimately though, it’s the upcoming battle on King’s Mountain in which fate will decide whether Jamie lives or dies.
While probably more than fifty percent of the story is told from Jamie and Claire’s perspectives, many other characters have their own POV scenes. Most prominent of these is Brianna and Roger. After returning from the future, they and their children, Jem and Mandy, spend a good deal of time simply settling back into life on the ridge and getting reacquainted with their family and friends there. Roger decides to finally pursue formal ordination as a Presbyterian minister, which takes them on a journey to Charles Town, where they meet up with Fergus and Marsali who are still publishing their newspaper. Jamie has tasked Fergus with obtaining guns for his new militia and Roger and Bree smuggle them back home in a creative way. From there they travel to Savannah, where Lord John has gotten Bree a commission to paint a portrait for a friend of his. They spend several months in Savannah, during which Bree is able to become acquainted with her half-brother, William, something that Lord John and Jamie were both hoping would happen. Roger accidentally gets swept up in a Revolutionary war battle in Savannah, while Bree also agrees to paint a portrait of a fallen rebel officer. But eventually the pair return home, where Roger follows Jamie into battle on King’s Mountain. And then, by the end, it appears that the future may have caught up to them in the past when someone who’d previously caused trouble for them shows up.
William is another prominent POV character. He’s still struggling with his identity crisis, and since he now knows that he’s actually a bastard, he’s strongly considering the possibility of abdicating his title as the Earl of Ellesmere, something that his Uncle Hal tells him won’t be easy to do. While contemplating his life, he spends a great deal of time traveling around. First, he’s off searching for his cousin, Ben, who he’s pretty sure isn’t dead after finding an imposter in Ben’s supposed grave. William’s journey takes him to Mount Josiah plantation, which has seen better days, and there he meets up with Lord John’s friend and sometimes lover, Manoke, as well as John Cinnamon, the illegitimate son of Lord John’s erstwhile cousin-in-law, Malcolm Stubbs, who John has been providing for. Because of this, John Cinnamon thinks that Lord John may be his father, so he accompanies William back to Savannah in search of his parent, and along the way, the two become friends. Back in Savannah, William meets Ben’s supposed widow, Amaranthus, and her child. Amaranthus makes a rather scandalous proposal, which tempts William, but before anything happens between them, he’s off on another journey, this time in search of his cousin, Dorothea, whose husband, Denny, has been taken captive and imprisoned by British forces. What he finds when he arrives is anything but what he expected. And later, after returning once again to Savannah and finding that Amaranthus has left, he goes searching for her as well, but comes back from that journey to find Lord John missing.
Additional POV characters include Ian and Rachel, who initially are just enjoying life on the ridge with Ian’s mother, Jenny, and their new son, nicknamed Oggy, until they can find just the right name for him. However, Ian receives distressing news about an attack on the Mohawk village where his ex-wife, Emily, lives. Concerned for the welfare of Emily and her children, Ian decides to travel North to check on them, and Rachel and Jenny insist on accompanying him. Rachel is a bit nervous about meeting Ian’s former flame, but all works out in the end. While there, they pay a visit to Joseph Brant, a college-educated Native American who once traveled to England to meet the King and who was an influential leader among the Iroquois. Jamie also tasks Ian with checking in on Silvia, the Quaker mother of three daughters who assisted Jamie at the beginning of the previous book, and as it turns out, she’s desperately in need of help which Ian gladly provides.
The final perspective we get is Lord John’s. He and his brother, Hal, are still trying to track down Hal’s son, Ben, while caring for his “widow,” Amaranthus, and her infant son. The two men are also involved in a major battle for Savannah, which the British win for now. John meets his charge, John Cinnamon, and tells the young man the truth about his parentage. John’s step-brother and erstwhile lover, Percy, shows up again, seemingly wanting to rekindle a relationship with John, although he also still has designs on Fergus, wanting Fergus to claim his birthright as the supposed son of the Compte St. Germain. Then there’s the sneaky Ezekiel Richardson who isn’t exactly who he seems and who may be a double, or perhaps even triple, agent possessing lots of information and dirt on a variety of different people, including a knowledge of John’s same-sex relationships which could get John hanged. However, what Richardson really wants is rather surprising, but until the man can get it, John finds himself Richardson's prisoner, leading to a bit of a cliffhanger ending.
Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone was another engaging installment of the Outlander series that I very much enjoyed. It’s a bit slower than some of the other books, because Jamie and Claire and company aren’t involved in as much action and adventure in this one. There are battles and skirmishes that they get caught up in, but they’re fewer and farther between than in most of the previous books. Except for the battle on King’s Mountain, Jamie and Claire stay put on Fraser’s Ridge, finishing their new house, and just enjoying a relatively quiet life. It’s the younger generation who find themselves in farther flung locales and getting into a bit more trouble. That’s not to say that there aren’t some new developments for our favorite romantic couple. They temporarily take in another foster child, and perhaps even more importantly, Claire discovers some unexpected newfound powers that could make a big difference moving forward. Then there’s the whole time travel aspect, which seems to be unraveling as more people learn about it, and new characters are entrusted with Claire’s (and Bree’s and Rogers’s) secret. I look forward to seeing where this all goes. I was a little disappointed that we didn’t get to see more of Fergus and Marsali and Denny and Dottie (I love both of these couples), but given how far away from the ridge they are, I guess it was to be expected. I do love, though, that Ms. Gabaldon never really forgets any characters and how ones that might not have been seen for a while, sometimes pop up again, giving readers new opportunities to learn more about them. Such is the case with Silvia and her daughters, as well as Emily and her oldest son who we’d previously been led to believe might be Ian’s. As always, I had a good time reading this new chapter in the Outlander saga. Even if it was a bit slower than most, it was still very enjoyable. I just love inhabiting this world, but now that I’m almost fully caught up (except for a couple of side novellas), it’s going to be a torturous wait for the next book, which could be several more years in the making.:-(
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LibraryThing member DocWood
It was wonderful. I really don't have any words. Gabaldon can sure tell a story! And Bees is a heckuva story. My only quibble with it is that Gabaldon does not tie up all her plot threads neatly, but leaves us with a cliffhanger. That, to me, when it takes 7-8 years to crank out another one, is
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cruel. Especially at my age, lol! I might be gone by the next one. Show Less
LibraryThing member muffinbutt1027
Reading Outlander feels like coming home. There's something so comforting about Diana's writing - I immediately fall right back into the world she's created and could stay there indefinitely.
There was a lot I loved about this book - Ian's story in particular left me feeling warm and fuzzy. I
At the end of the day Diana is a master of her craft - those who have stayed this long with the series shall certainly continue to do so for one more book.
There was a lot I loved about this book - Ian's story in particular left me feeling warm and fuzzy. I
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appreciated that the story kept moving at a pretty good pace - some of the other installments have a tendency to drag in certain moments like treading water and I didn't experience that here. However it was clear to me that she had the intention of getting William to the Ridge somehow, someway and it was pretty transparent. Although he has grown on me some, I'm still not his biggest fan and Amaranthus is insufferable. At the end of the day Diana is a master of her craft - those who have stayed this long with the series shall certainly continue to do so for one more book.
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LibraryThing member ElisabethZguta
Not as spell binding or as suspenseful as the first Outlander book but a nice update on favorite characters and more details about the more minor characters. This book is an inside look at life during the Revolution era.
LibraryThing member decaturmamaof2
It's good .. Detailed so you can disappear in the late 1770s.
LibraryThing member sunnydrk
Another fantastic book in the Outlander series.
LibraryThing member Becky_From_Kansas
So, on one hand I enjoyed getting to 'see' the characters again. On the other hand, it turned out to be so disappointing and it breaks my heart to say that, I love this series so very much. I didn't feel like it answered any questions, if anything it just created more. I feels as though this book
BIG kudos to Davina Porter. Once again, she did a fabulous job. 5 stars to her.
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was set up to "get us ready" for the next one and I don't know that I can get excited about another 7 years wait. The ending was...so wrong and abrupt. A cliffhanger ending after waiting as long as we did is just not in good form. There is a part of me that wonders if this book wasn't entirely written to give the TV series more to go on. I hope that I am wrong. BIG kudos to Davina Porter. Once again, she did a fabulous job. 5 stars to her.
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LibraryThing member jldarden
Really enjoyed visiting these characters again in book form vs the TV series. You get so much more character insight and detail with the books. Now I just have to wait for the 10th and final book in the series hoping the author lives long enough , she is in her seventies now.
LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
This installment in the series doesn't disappoint. All our favorite characters are here. I especially liked the inclusion of William and how his relationship to his birth family is growing despite his reluctance to accept them. Because so much time has passed, the cast of characters has grown ever
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larger so that we get snippets of plot for lots of different people. There's plenty of action and near death experiences and Claire is developing her powers. But there isn't a strong compelling central storyline. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2021-11-23
Physical description
9.45 inches
ISBN
2928377059859
Local notes
Jamie and Claire are engulfed by the American War of Independence whilst Brianna and Roger are forced to question the wisdom of their time travelling adventures.
Signed Waterstones exclusive edition with sprayed edges, gold foil bee endpapers and a gold ribbon.
Signed Waterstones exclusive edition with sprayed edges, gold foil bee endpapers and a gold ribbon.