Outlandish Satisfaction

Time travel, history, love, and unexpected plot events are plentiful in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander. Claire, an ex-WWII army nurse finds herself in a troublesome situation after she discovers that spending time in places you are unfamiliar with could lead to abrupt change in your surroundings, including a two hundred year retrogression. Outlander, published by Delacorte Books in 1991 not only has a kick-butt female protagonist, but the perfect balance between authenticity and enchantment.
Feisty and independent, Claire Randall and her husband, a renowned historian with famous ancestry, are reliving their honeymoon in Scotland; suddenly curiosity of some standing stones (think Stonehenge), place her in the hands of 1743 Scots with plans unknown to her and the reader. Living without the commodities she is so used to, Claire faced the hardships and dangers of life outside her known world, giving the reader a reality check the further you delve into such an empowering story.
A book of more than 800 pages can seem daunting, but Gabaldon’s brilliance radiates off of every page, leaving no room for missed details or monotonous paragraphs. The historical accuracy of the book does not detract from the heated romance and thrilling action, but leaves the feeling that an event such as this may have actually happened, giving the book an epic feeling of tragedy and elation with every turn of a page. Although Claire’s view of this foreign time period is to be expected, as a female, I found some of her thoughts and actions to be disagreeable and bellicose. However, it is hard not to sympathize with a woman who has known little women’s rights, and is still inclined to believe that a husband should be the one to protect her.
Fitting a variety of genres, as long as you are unperturbed by the gory and graphic scenes, there is no excuse to miss out on the eloquence presented in this novel; Gabaldon does not disappoint.