ABOSAA: Discuss Part Twelve to the End here

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

Finally got around to posting the last of the discussion.  I've spent the last two days trying to find the leak in my kitchen and constantly mopping the floors.  Finally fixed, and fans are drying the vinyl.  I'm going to have to replace a couple of the tiles, though. 

So that's my sad story and here are the final discussion questions.  Now we have the next book coming out shortly, and probably a four year wait until the final installment.  (gack)

Part Twelve - Time Will Not Be Ours Forever
Chapters 114 -

1.  Bree gives birth to Mandy, who has a heart defect which Claire cannot repair.  What did you think was going to happen?



2.  Did you think Bree would go through the stones without Roger and Jem on the off chance that she would be able to return to them with Mandy?



3.  What do you think would be consequences if Bree decides to tell Willie who his father is?



4.  Did you expect Bree to live up to her promise not to let Bonnet drown?  How did you feel about her shooting him?



5.  How did you feel about Jamie watching Bree and Willie meet?  Do you think it was right for Bree to take the chance that Willie would see the resemblance between them?



6.  What do you think of Roger’s attempt at matchmaking between Bobby and Amy?  Do you think they will get together?



7.  Why do you think Jamie tried to send Claire back through the stones?



8.  How did you feel when Bree and Mandy disappeared through the stones?



9.  Why do you think Roger gave Jemmy the choice of staying with his grandparents?



10.  Do you think Jamie’s dream of Roger and Bree was true?



11.  Jemmy wants to use the phone to call his grandda.  What do you think he will remember about being in the past and how do you think it will affect him?



12.  What did you think of Allan Christie’s confession?  Did you think he was the father of Malva’s child?  Do you think Tom Christie knew or suspected what was going on?



13.  What did you think of Malva’s reasons for taking so many lovers?  Did you think she had other lovers prior to her pregnancy?



14.  How do you think Claire felt when Allan told her that Malva couldn’t go through with their plan because she loved Claire?  How does that relate to Malva trying to kill her?



15.  What did you think of Ian shooting Allan Christie?  Do you think it was murder?



16.  What was your reaction to Donner showing up?



17.  How did you think Mrs. Bug ended up with an ingot of the Frenchman’s gold?



18.  How did you feel when Jamie killed Donner?



19.  Were you surprised that the house actually did burn down?  Were you worried that everyone wouldn’t make it out safely (Donner and thugs excepted)?



20.  Were you surprised that Arch Bug was the third man?  What do you think he intends to do with the gold?  Should Jamie have let him go?



21.  Grant apparently used the gold for his clan, and Arch thinks that was alright.  Why then wouldn’t he allow the gold to be used for the welfare of the men who fought for Prince Charlie and suffered in the aftermath who are now living on the Ridge?



22.  Now that you know the real reason Murdina Bug killed Lionel Brown, do you feel differently toward her?



23.  Did you expect Jamie and Claire to return to Scotland?  Do you think Ian will go with them?  Do you think they will return to North Carolina, or head for the north where most of the battles will be fought? 



24.  How did you feel about Bree and Roger reclaiming Lallybroch?



25.  How do you think Bree felt reading the letters from her parents?  Since DG has employed this device, do you think we’ll be seeing more of Bree and Roger as they read the letters?



26.  What did you think of the explanation for the incorrect dates in the newspaper article?

[millie34]

1.  Bree gives birth to Mandy, who has a heart defect which Claire cannot repair.  What did you think was going to happen?
   It’s time for her to go back to save the baby’s life.



2.  Did you think Bree would go through the stones without Roger and Jem on the off chance that she would be able to return to them with Mandy?
   I don’t think she would take that chance.  She wouldn’t go without Roger.



3.  What do you think would be consequences if Bree decides to tell Willie who his father is?
   Disbelief at first, then anger.  I don’t know if it would affect his title.  I suppose if he didn’t tell anyone it wouldn’t.



4.  Did you expect Bree to live up to her promise not to let Bonnet drown?  How did you feel about her shooting him?
   What a horrible way to execute someone.  I figured there was nothing she could do.  She knew his nightmare of drowning and she found a way.  I guess you could call it mercy killing.  Considering all that he put her through, she was really very compassionate.



5.  How did you feel about Jamie watching Bree and Willie meet?  Do you think it was right for Bree to take the chance that Willie would see the resemblance between them?
   It must have been painful in a way, seeing brother and sister and knowing they could never acknowledge each other or that he could never know who they were to him.

6.  What do you think of Roger’s attempt at matchmaking between Bobby and Amy?  Do you think they will get together?
   Sounds like a great idea.  I hope so.



7.  Why do you think Jamie tried to send Claire back through the stones?
   He wanted to give her the choice to go back with her daughter and grandchildren.  I don't know if he could have lived without her this time.  And yet when death takes one of them, the other must go on, unless they die together.


8.  How did you feel when Bree and Mandy disappeared through the stones?
   Another scene that took my breath away.  I was relieved to see that they got away safely.



9.  Why do you think Roger gave Jemmy the choice of staying with his grandparents?
   He knew that Jamie and Claire were losing their entire family.  He loved them enough to make that sacrifice.



10.  Do you think Jamie’s dream of Roger and Bree was true?
   Yes, I think he saw them in his dream.  He may not be able to go through the stones, but he seems to be able to transcend time in his dreams.



11.  Jemmy wants to use the phone to call his grandda.  What do you think he will remember about being in the past and how do you think it will affect him?
   He will remember the love of his grandparents, and will always miss them.  I wonder if he’ll understand the whole time travel thing.



12.  What did you think of Allan Christie’s confession?  Did you think he was the father of Malva’s child?  Do you think Tom Christie knew or suspected what was going on?
   I thought all along that it was he who killed her, but I thought it was because of the shame she brought to the family.  I would never have expected that the child was his.  Her father may have known, and that was why he beat her.



13.  What did you think of Malva’s reasons for taking so many lovers?  Did you think she had other lovers prior to her pregnancy?
   She kept trying, sooner or later maybe one of them would marry her.  Poor thing!  She was not such a bad person after all.  I would say she didn’t have other lovers before she got pregnant.



14.  How do you think Claire felt when Allan told her that Malva couldn’t go through with their plan because she loved Claire?  How does that relate to Malva trying to kill her?
   It must have been heartbreaking for her.  She really loved Malva.  Now I don’t know what to make of Malva trying to kill Claire.



15.  What did you think of Ian shooting Allan Christie?  Do you think it was murder?
   He knew that he would never be punished for what he did, and it was more like an execution.  He also knew Allen couldn’t live with the knowledge of what he did to Malva and his father.  It was really a kindness.


16.  What was your reaction to Donner showing up?
   Claire was his only link to the future.  He obviously had enough of living in those times.



17.  How did you think Mrs. Bug ended up with an ingot of the Frenchman’s gold?
   Seems as though Arch took the gold one ingot at a time.  He could have taken the one in Jocasta’s room when he was there.  Jocasta said a man came into her room, but she didn’t recognize his voice.  



18.  How did you feel when Jamie killed Donner?
   Now he’ll never get back to his own time.



19.  Were you surprised that the house actually did burn down?  Were you worried that everyone wouldn’t make it out safely (Donner and thugs excepted)?
   I thought someone would die to explain the newspaper article.  I thought the date was a typo, 1/21/1776 for 12/21/1776.



20.  Were you surprised that Arch Bug was the third man?  What do you think he intends to do with the gold?  Should Jamie have let him go?
   I never expected that.  I don’t know what he’ll do with the gold.  There’s no king of Scotland left, maybe he’ll use it to help the English crown.  I don’t think Jamie should have let him go.



21.  Grant apparently used the gold for his clan, and Arch thinks that was alright.  Why then wouldn’t he allow the gold to be used for the welfare of the men who fought for Prince Charlie and suffered in the aftermath who are now living on the Ridge?
   He didn’t say he approved of Grant’s actions.  He did call Hector a traitor though.  Maybe he didn’t want to see the gold help the men who are now fighting against the crown.



22.  Now that you know the real reason Murdina Bug killed Lionel Brown, do you feel differently toward her?
   I certainly do, she’s not the nice little old lady she seemed to be.



23.  Did you expect Jamie and Claire to return to Scotland?  Do you think Ian will go with them?  Do you think they will return to North Carolina, or head for the north where most of the battles will be fought?
   That came as a complete surprise.  I think Ian will take this opportunity to go see his family.



24.  How did you feel about Bree and Roger reclaiming Lallybroch?
    I think that’s great.  She had to feel that she was going home, and I’ll bet she felt her mother’s and father’s spirits there.



25.  How do you think Bree felt reading the letters from her parents?  Since DG has employed this device, do you think we’ll be seeing more of Bree and Roger as they read the letters?
   Her prayers were answered, they survived.  That’s a great way to jump from the past to the future, allowing her to keep them in the story.



26.  What did you think of the explanation for the incorrect dates in the newspaper article?
   I said it was a typo, but a misprint will do too.  But how do you explain the report that Jamie and Claire were burned to death.  Did the writer just assume they were killed.  Apparently the article was not considered important enough to correct.

That was a reading marathon!!

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

3.  What do you think would be consequences if Bree decides to tell Willie who his father is?
   Disbelief at first, then anger.  I don’t know if it would affect his title.  I suppose if he didn’t tell anyone it wouldn’t.

Under English common law, a baby born in a marriage is considered to be the husband's baby, no matter what.  Legally, he is still the ninth Earl of Ellesmere, etc., but there would definitely be a stigma attached to his birth. 

11.  Jemmy wants to use the phone to call his grandda.  What do you think he will remember about being in the past and how do you think it will affect him?
   He will remember the love of his grandparents, and will always miss them.  I wonder if he’ll understand the whole time travel thing.

That's what I wondered.  How will Jemmy's parents explain everything he saw and lived through?  He'll study history and see Colonial clothing, and remember that's what he wore.  He'll see pictures of muskets and Indians and log cabins, and know that's how he lived. 

15.  What did you think of Ian shooting Allan Christie?  Do you think it was murder?
   He knew that he would never be punished for what he did, and it was more like an execution.  He also knew Allen couldn’t live with the knowledge of what he did to Malva and his father.  It was really a kindness.

I like that better.  It was an execution.  Now I don't have to be horrified at what Ian did. 

26.  What did you think of the explanation for the incorrect dates in the newspaper article?
   I said it was a typo, but a misprint will do too.  But how do you explain the report that Jamie and Claire were burned to death.  Did the writer just assume they were killed.  Apparently the article was not considered important enough to correct.

Jamie planted the story.  He wanted people to think they died in the fire, leaving he and Claire free to do what they need to do. 

That was a reading marathon!!

Yes, it definitely was.  I liked this book so much better than Drums or Cross.  It was like DG went back to her old style. 

[Luvmy4brats]

No wonder I was so confused when I tried to start Echo... I had forgotten probably the last 1/2 of this book. I knew I should have tried to re-read the series before Echo came out. Now that I'm caught up, I'm itching to read Echo, but I think I'm going to read the Lord John books first and then I'll read it.

I'd totally forgotten that about Malva accusing Jamie and that it was the Bugs that took the gold. Rather major plot points I'd say...

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

No wonder I was so confused when I tried to start Echo... I had forgotten probably the last 1/2 of this book. I knew I should have tried to re-read the series before Echo came out. Now that I'm caught up, I'm itching to read Echo, but I think I'm going to read the Lord John books first and then I'll read it.

I'd totally forgotten that about Malva accusing Jamie and that it was the Bugs that took the gold. Rather major plot points I'd say...

I'll say. 

Any particular reason you're reading the LJ books first? I read one, didn't like it.  I feel like DG snuck an LJ book into Echo and that ticked me off. 

Let us know what you think of Echo.

[Luvmy4brats]

Well, I've already bought them and I'm trying to read through my TBR pile. I have this "thing" about reading books in order and since Echo seems to be partially a LJ book, I feel the need to read the others first. If I don't read them, I'll feel like I skipped something and I can't have that.
 
I'm glad I re-read all 6 of them. I think I'd only read 5-6 once before. Mainly because they're not available from audible and all the CDs are a pain or I'd burn out by the time I got to book 4 (4&5 aren't my favorites) 

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

Well, I've already bought them and I'm trying to read through my TBR pile. I have this "thing" about reading books in order and since Echo seems to be partially a LJ book, I feel the need to read the others first. If I don't read them, I'll feel like I skipped something and I can't have that.
 
I'm glad I re-read all 6 of them. I think I'd only read 5-6 once before. Mainly because they're not available from audible and all the CDs are a pain or I'd burn out by the time I got to book 4 (4&5 aren't my favorites) 

Drums and Cross aren't my favorites, either. If Cross hadn't been a present, I doubt if I would have finished it.