A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows
Congratulations to Diana Gabaldon on the publication of her latest story, "A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows", in the SONGS OF LOVE AND DEATH anthology.
This is a wonderful story, and I would highly recommend it to OUTLANDER fans.
Feel free to post your comments and reactions to the story here.
*** SPOILER WARNING ***
Major spoilers below! Don't read below unless you've finished the story!
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Here are a few of my reactions:
-- Jerry is a great character. I like the way he thinks. And his approach to dealing with balky machinery makes me laugh. <g>
-- I loved the scene with Marjorie and her mother and Frank. Heartbreakingly sad. It was great to get a glimpse of wee Roger, too. "He wouldn't throw a fit—he hardly ever did—but he wouldn't give up, either." (p. 450) I love the way Roger's temperament is evident here, even as a toddler.
-- Frank seems much more sympathetic in this story -- the first time we've seen him through impartial eyes, so to speak -- and I wonder if anyone's opinion of him will change as a result. "Most of them—of us—we're just…there, and we do our best. Most of the time." (p. 454) I love that line. Frank's not a hero, either, nor especially brave. But he did his best -- most of the time <g> -- after Claire came back. (IMHO, at least.)
-- It's awfully damn lucky for Jerry that he happened to be carrying a gemstone in his pocket when the plane went down!
-- The ending is a miracle. Tragic, heartbreaking, but at the same time....a miracle. (Well, there are two miracles, really. First, that Roger got the chance to say, "I love you" to his dad, and second, that Jerry was there to catch him.) And if Roger hadn't been there to send him back, Jerry wouldn't have been there in the tube station to catch him and thereby presumably save his life. (Thinking about time-travel paradoxes at this time of day just makes my head hurt <g>, but I'll be very interested in what the rest of you have to say about this.)
-- And now I really want to know two things: a) What the heck are they doing in Northumbria, and how did they get there? (Presumably it's a long way on foot or horseback from Craigh na Dun.) b) What year is it when Jerry arrives in the past?
I really enjoyed this story, and it definitely raises at least as many questions as it answers. We'll be speculating about what it all means for some time to come, I'm sure.
This is a wonderful story, and I would highly recommend it to OUTLANDER fans.
Feel free to post your comments and reactions to the story here.
*** SPOILER WARNING ***
Major spoilers below! Don't read below unless you've finished the story!
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
Here are a few of my reactions:
-- Jerry is a great character. I like the way he thinks. And his approach to dealing with balky machinery makes me laugh. <g>
-- I loved the scene with Marjorie and her mother and Frank. Heartbreakingly sad. It was great to get a glimpse of wee Roger, too. "He wouldn't throw a fit—he hardly ever did—but he wouldn't give up, either." (p. 450) I love the way Roger's temperament is evident here, even as a toddler.
-- Frank seems much more sympathetic in this story -- the first time we've seen him through impartial eyes, so to speak -- and I wonder if anyone's opinion of him will change as a result. "Most of them—of us—we're just…there, and we do our best. Most of the time." (p. 454) I love that line. Frank's not a hero, either, nor especially brave. But he did his best -- most of the time <g> -- after Claire came back. (IMHO, at least.)
-- It's awfully damn lucky for Jerry that he happened to be carrying a gemstone in his pocket when the plane went down!
-- The ending is a miracle. Tragic, heartbreaking, but at the same time....a miracle. (Well, there are two miracles, really. First, that Roger got the chance to say, "I love you" to his dad, and second, that Jerry was there to catch him.) And if Roger hadn't been there to send him back, Jerry wouldn't have been there in the tube station to catch him and thereby presumably save his life. (Thinking about time-travel paradoxes at this time of day just makes my head hurt <g>, but I'll be very interested in what the rest of you have to say about this.)
-- And now I really want to know two things: a) What the heck are they doing in Northumbria, and how did they get there? (Presumably it's a long way on foot or horseback from Craigh na Dun.) b) What year is it when Jerry arrives in the past?
I really enjoyed this story, and it definitely raises at least as many questions as it answers. We'll be speculating about what it all means for some time to come, I'm sure.
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