We'll be reading Chapters 19-30 this week, which puts us half-way through the book.
Here are this weeks discussion questions.
Part Four - River Run
Chapters 10-13
1. What was your first impression of Jocasta? Ulysses? The relationship between the two?
2. How did you feel when you learned Jocasta was blind? Why do you think that Claire, with her keen sense of observation (and as a doctor) didn't notice?
3. What did you think of Jocasta tricking Jamie into meeting with Lt. Wolff?
4. Why do you think Simon Fraser joined the British army? (He actually rose to the rank of general and was pardoned, but his titles were never restored.) And just for fun, there is a Simon Fraser University in California. Here is their coat of arms.
5. Why do you think Ian changed his mind about Jamie's fitness to be a guardian to Young Ian?
6. In his letter, Ian describes the "steel" in Jamie's eyes since Culloden. Do you think now that Claire is back, he will lose some of that look?
7. Claire tries to spare the slaves as much work as possible. How much difference do you think there is between this system and the systems of servitude and serfdom in England and France?
8. I'm not even going to ask about the Bloodshed Law (shudder), but I'm going to ask what you think of Campbell's attempt to be humane about it while still enforcing it. Do you think his attitude was unusual?
9. What do you think of Jocasta's plan to announce Jamie as her heir without consulting him?
10. Do you think Jamie is a violent man by nature, as he says to Claire? Why do you think he says he isn't a good man?
11. What do you think of Jamie letting Byrnes die of lockjaw?
12. Death and mayhem again. Do you agree with their decision not to tell Campbell the full truth about the girl's abortion?
13. Do you think Jamie was the one who killed Bobby Murchison? Does Billy Murchison blame Jamie for his death?
Part Five-- Drums of Autumn
"Strawberry Fields Forever"
Chapter 14-16
1. What do you think of the plan to take Pollyanne to the Indians? Do you think she is exchanging one kind of slavery for another?
2. What do you think of Ian's eagerness to go with Myers and meet the Indians? Will Myers be able to convince him to come back to meet Jamie and Claire?
3. What did you think of the incident with the bear?
4. How did you feel about their first meeting with Indians?
5. As they travel further from civilization, Claire recalls the cave at Abandawe. She asks herself, "Where else?" Do you think her fears of stumbling into another time portal are justified?
6. Claire saw Jamie's gravestone in Scotland. Considering there were no dates on it, do you think Claire is justified in fearing that if Jamie goes back there he will die at that time?
Part Six-- Drums of Autumn
"Je T'aime"
Chapter 17-18
1. These two chapters are about the relationship between Roger and Bree. Discuss their feelings for each other. Do you think Bree's feelings are strong enough to eventually overcome her fears?
Here are this weeks discussion questions.
Part Four - River Run
Chapters 10-13
1. What was your first impression of Jocasta? Ulysses? The relationship between the two?
2. How did you feel when you learned Jocasta was blind? Why do you think that Claire, with her keen sense of observation (and as a doctor) didn't notice?
3. What did you think of Jocasta tricking Jamie into meeting with Lt. Wolff?
4. Why do you think Simon Fraser joined the British army? (He actually rose to the rank of general and was pardoned, but his titles were never restored.) And just for fun, there is a Simon Fraser University in California. Here is their coat of arms.
5. Why do you think Ian changed his mind about Jamie's fitness to be a guardian to Young Ian?
6. In his letter, Ian describes the "steel" in Jamie's eyes since Culloden. Do you think now that Claire is back, he will lose some of that look?
7. Claire tries to spare the slaves as much work as possible. How much difference do you think there is between this system and the systems of servitude and serfdom in England and France?
8. I'm not even going to ask about the Bloodshed Law (shudder), but I'm going to ask what you think of Campbell's attempt to be humane about it while still enforcing it. Do you think his attitude was unusual?
9. What do you think of Jocasta's plan to announce Jamie as her heir without consulting him?
10. Do you think Jamie is a violent man by nature, as he says to Claire? Why do you think he says he isn't a good man?
11. What do you think of Jamie letting Byrnes die of lockjaw?
12. Death and mayhem again. Do you agree with their decision not to tell Campbell the full truth about the girl's abortion?
13. Do you think Jamie was the one who killed Bobby Murchison? Does Billy Murchison blame Jamie for his death?
Part Five-- Drums of Autumn
"Strawberry Fields Forever"
Chapter 14-16
1. What do you think of the plan to take Pollyanne to the Indians? Do you think she is exchanging one kind of slavery for another?
2. What do you think of Ian's eagerness to go with Myers and meet the Indians? Will Myers be able to convince him to come back to meet Jamie and Claire?
3. What did you think of the incident with the bear?
4. How did you feel about their first meeting with Indians?
5. As they travel further from civilization, Claire recalls the cave at Abandawe. She asks herself, "Where else?" Do you think her fears of stumbling into another time portal are justified?
6. Claire saw Jamie's gravestone in Scotland. Considering there were no dates on it, do you think Claire is justified in fearing that if Jamie goes back there he will die at that time?
Part Six-- Drums of Autumn
"Je T'aime"
Chapter 17-18
1. These two chapters are about the relationship between Roger and Bree. Discuss their feelings for each other. Do you think Bree's feelings are strong enough to eventually overcome her fears?