Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon
I discovered Dragonfly in Amber (not Outlander – but I’ll get to that) in a little mall bookstore, March 1993. I was a new mother, my son had just turned one month, and my mother suggested an outing (sleep deprivation and nursing mother = scary). My amazing mom strolled around with my son while I popped into the bookstore.
I might have teared up when my feet hit the tiny, carpeted aisles to begin my browse fest. My eye caught and was held captive, by an extraordinarily, large hardcover with a bit of black and red plaid near the bottom of that gorgeously, plump spine. (Come on – don’t pretend like finding a historical fiction that is sure to take longer to read than a few days doesn’t excite you too!)
So here I am contentedly reading the dust jacket for Dragonfly when two women pop up on either side of me. No guesswork required as to what my two new companions had on their minds. It went a bit like this: “Oh my, have you not read Dragonfly in Amber yet?” “You are going to LOVE it!” And then my response of no, I hadn’t read it yet and had never heard of the author, so I was just checking it out. Crickets……. Then: “What??????” “You mean you haven’t even read Outlander?” “You can’t read the series out of order.” “You have to read the series though.” “Buy Dragonfly but have the clerk order Outlander.” (Before Amazon Prime people)
With all due encouragement, (was there ever a choice with those two?) I ended up reading Outlander (FIRST) and falling in love. To make a long story longer, 😉 my children grew up watching me jump up and down when a new book was released. (They knew they weren’t going to get much above a cold sandwich or mac-n-cheese for dinner until that baby was read and put to bed)
Gabaldon is a literary genius. I don’t write this lightly. I have read thousands of books, in every genre, and she tics every reader’s wants and desires. There is action, love, continent-jumping, time traveling, characters you never want to give up, and plots and character connections that would take over 1200 pages to wrap your mind around (that would be The Outlandish Companion Volumes I & II). The intricacy with which this author spins her tales is inspiring and I am so very happy that a chance meeting (obvi…fan girls) in a small bookstore in Oklahoma has given me so many years of happiness. Soooooooo, in case anyone got sidetracked by my enthusiasm – this series is highly recommended.
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