A Breath of Snow and Ashes

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have finished Chapter 7 in A Breath of Snow and Ashes. (Frankly I may be on chapter 6; I'm not sure. Och! This damn Kindle!)

So I've started Book 6. That's code for A Breath of Snow and Ashes. (I'm so stealth, am I not?) And so far - SO good. I was a little dismayed/freaked out at first when Ian was hurt in the woods. I was also half-expecting chapter 1 to be a first person narrative from someone other than Claire, since Tracey had such a reaction to the writing style when we made our last video. But, alas, it was written in third person, from Ian's point of view. Which is verra cool, Sassenachs. Anything remotely having to do with Ian is totally exciting to the lassies of My Outlander Purgatory these days.

(Have I ever mentioned that my son's name is Ian? Just thought I'd throw it out there.  Let's face it... anything in your life that relates even slightly to Outlander is pretty damn cool, no?)

You know - I usually spend half the book pondering and theorizing the meaning(s?) of the book's title - but this one is kindof jumps out at you by chapter 2. Verra verra sad, no? And I'm wondering if they're right about the same "band of brigands" (Jo and Kezzie's word) being the ones who hurt Ian.

Soooo.... MacDonald is at the big house, absolutely DISGUSTING Claire with his tales of calling all prostitutes Polly (ugh what a PIG) and I want them to get their butts to Edenton and find that poor girl and adopt her. And he's running all sorts of propositions by Jamie - to head up a Committee of Safety... and to "take in" a large group of Gaelic-speaking Highlanders - who have come in from Scotland in droves - and help them set up homesteads on the Ridge. Because, let's face it, Jamie is all-giving as well as he is all-knowing, right? All are welcome... all welcome.

BUT - Roger Mac and Bree are on their way to the McGillivrays' to fetch Jemmy who was brought there while they were away (at the burnt-out Dutch house) by Lizzie and her father. They could have waited until morning, but they are good parents and just plain miss their son. Which is very sweet in my humble opinion. And while walking...Bree is talking about different ways to design indoor plumbing, which I've been saying they should do since Day 1. So this is one "invention" I can totally get behind with Bree. It's a no-brainer (not in terms of design but in terms of necessity.)

Lastly - I have to mention that I find it odd that these poor Beardsley kids (I don't even like using that name; Jamie should just adopt them and make them Fraser's) are still kindof vagabonds - even though they're living at the Ridge. I mean - do we know where they're living? Whose house? Do they live at the big house? I'm confused. All I know is they seem to roam around in the woods quite a bit. And when I got to the following line I was appalled: "Come along to the house with us, aye.... I'm sure Frau Ute would give ye a bed by the fire."  These poor kids!  I know, I know - it's the 18th century. But come on! These kids need some parenting! If Jamie's not going to step up to the plate and claim them, someone else should! They're way too young to be allowed to roam around in the dark woods at night.

OK that's all... off to read. More later, Sassenachs. More later....