Outlander Series discussion

I am almost finished with ABOSAA. I really don't understand the scene with Claire and Tom Christie. He gave himself up for her. I thought he mistrusted her and even found her medicinal ways wicked. Yet, he has been in love with her the whole time!? I am confused and would love to hear any opinions on this. It was so out of the blue for me. Is he really in love with her? Is he going to be killed? I sure hope not.

He really is in love with her -- don't exactly know why. You'll have to keep reading!

He is really in love with her. She throws him way out of his comfort zone.

I was very surprised by this and thought maybe I missed something along the way in my reading. Were you guys surprised by this? Jamie did not seem to find it surprising or if he did, I did not sense it.

I don't think Tom Christie knew what to do about his feelings for Claire, so he protected himself by pushing her away and being mean. Kind of like boys in grade school...you know they like you if they pick on you. LOL!

I asked this exact same question a while ago, and someone commented that Tom was weary of Claire at first, but he also had Malva, and he knows the difference between the "craft" that Malva was doing, and the "craft" that Claire was doing (meaning her ways were strange to Tom and he mistrusted her at first, but he soon realized that what she did WAS strange, but there was no evil or maliciousness in it, she was only trying to help and i think he eventually saw the difference, and found that his love was worthy of her, that he finally loved a woman who was truly worth loving).

Thank you everyone for your input. I really love this series and find the character so real and compeling. I can't wait to start Echo in the Bone.

I came here to post and ask for someone to please give me a brief overview of what happened to Tom and his daughter and her death caused by her brother. I really need to read the series again, so little time and so many books....

I have the same request. I finished Echo a week or so ago and couldn't remember much about Tom Christie either. The reference makes it seem pretty significant, but I don't want to drag out the last few books to search it out. By the way, I have been enjoying everyone's posts on all of the topics. You are my people!

I haven't read them in a few months, but as I remember it Malva accused Jamie and Jamie and claire were ostrasized by the mountain Community. Tom can't help himself for loving Claire. Jamie recognizes this and tells Claire. Malva is killed in the garden by her brother, because the baby is really his. Claire comes upon her and trys to do a c-section to save the baby. The ridge people all think that she killed Malva. Claire is then arrested by the vigilante's and taken on a journey to a town (I can't remember the name). Jamie goes with her to protect her because of the hard feelings with the leader of the vigilante group. She is put into Jail with another woman at the sherrif's home, and takes the other woman's name to get out of the situation. She is then taken to the govenor to help with his wife. He finds that she can read and write and presses her into duty as his scribe. He takes her with him to a ship in the harbor and Jamie comes out in a small boat to bargain for her. In the end Tom Christy comes to take her place out of love for her. Jamie and Claire both think at that point that Tom is killed for her crime. So when he shows up on Echo it is a surprise, and he is printing pamphlets that are sedicious.

Alicia wrote: "I asked this exact same question a while ago, and someone commented that Tom was weary of Claire at first, but he also had Malva, and he knows the difference between the "craft" that Malva was doin..."

Remembering also that Tom's wife was burned at the stake for practising Witchcraft....he certain knows the difference. I think that Tom was not distributing sedious tracs, the trac Claire found on the bench was a religious one.

I agree; he was writing religious tracts. I thought he had become a pastor of sorts.

ChristinaRae wrote: "I agree; he was writing religious tracts. I thought he had become a pastor of sorts."

My heart really goes out to Tom...it must be a real heartbreaker to be in love with a woman the Jamie loves!!! and he is all alone now...maybe DG will be merciful enough to find him someone nice to love! Maybe Rachel will introduce him to a nice Quaker lady he he

Maybe Tom Christie will be able to have sex with Claire.. she seems pretty ok with that when Jamie isn't available.... @@

..can you tell THAT situation ticked me off... lol

Gracee wrote: "..can you tell THAT situation ticked me off... lol"

he he I guiltily thought the same thing! I would sooner she slept with Tom than with LJ

Not me...I've been thinking about it. The Claire/LJ connection has me intrigued and I can't wait to read what Jaime is going to say/do. I love a little drama and suspense.

What should Jaime do? What do you see him doing?
(anyone?)

I think Jaime will be reasonable. He won't kill LJ (who, next to Ian is his best friend). We might have to endure a few hundred pages of Jaime avoiding Claire only to ultimately forgive her and fall smoldering into her arms in some steamy scene. He forgave her for King Louis, why wouldn't he forgive her for LJ. For the sake of William, Jaime will continue a relationship with LJ, but never be able to completely forgive and forget.

I know Jamie is going to make Claire suffer - which will drive me crazy but will make the book really good.

How suffer, do you think? Cold shoulder? No sex for month? Or will he take other measures?

ChristinaRae wrote: "How suffer, do you think? Cold shoulder? No sex for month? Or will he take other measures?"
I can't imagine Jamie or Claire going a month without sex. They will probably have angry jealous rage sex and then he will forgive her.

Lady wrote: "I think Jaime will be reasonable. He won't kill LJ (who, next to Ian is his best friend). We might have to endure a few hundred pages of Jaime avoiding Claire only to ultimately forgive her and f..."

Claire slept with the King to save Jamie's life. I think this is somewhat different. I really don't know what DG will do to repair the damage and the repair the breach on this situation, I don't think any of the previous ways of handling things will suffice in this scenerio...she will really have to think of something creative. I don't know about other die hard Outlander fans, but I know the 'have sex, forgive, & forget' will not applease this reader. There was just no reason for it...Claire and LJ having sex (albeit consummation of the marriage or grieving Jamie) made absolutely no sense to me, nor did it in anyway enhance the story line. My Claire would have gone to the gallows (with Jamie saving her at the last minute of course)for sedition before she would have given herself to someone else either in marriage or in bed. She is nearly 60 years old for goodness sake...and although 60 year old women are still passionate...age has given other types of resolving issues and showing wisdom and dealing with grief.
The other part that completely irritated me was that just prior to the sex she was contempting suicide! (this Doctor who has such a strong ethic to preserving life)Not likely! She would have wanted more evidence of Jamie's death and would have went about finding more convincing evidence that LJ just running in and announcing that Jamie was dead.. ...I think.

I think he'll take off or something like that so she won't be able to explain anything to him.

I have been thinking in Echo Jamie finally tells Claire about the woman (was it Mary someone) who came to him in the cave and 'compassionate' sex with him after Claire had come back through the stones after Culldoen. Do you think that was forshadowing for how he will make sense of this situation?

I really hope she doesn't turn the whole thing into a dream. I think that would be cheesy and a cop out. Also, I guess I am just not that angry about the Lord John thing. I do think this whole part of the story line had some holes in it but, if we believe that Claire really thought Jamie was dead (I do think she was a little quick to believe it) then the whole LJ thing doesn't make me all that angry. Everyone does stupid things in their life especially when they are grieving. It seems like it would be more reasonable to go back through the stones and be with Brianna and Roger then to marry anyone again but, I suppose she was afraid to go through that again. I think it will be interesting to see how it is resolved or even if they can resolve it.

When I was reading this for the first time, I remember thinking, "Why commit suicide? Just go back through the stones?" The end result would either be going back to Bree and the ones she loves or losing her life in the stones. Of course, she was so grief stricken that she wasn't thiking straight. And I agree, the LJ sex episode isn't that disturbing. It actually adds some spice and intrigue to the book.

DG did something right with Echo because we are all still blogging about it.
I think DG was showing us how emotionally distraut Claire was she was contemplating suicide as well as going back thru the stones I think she had earings from LJ for this reason.
Ultimately she married him for Jamie to protect and be present for the children. Jamie would have done the same thing they have always sacrificed themselves for family.

"he knows the difference between the "craft" that Malva was doing, and the "craft" that Claire was doing (meaning her ways were strange to Tom and he mistrusted her at first, but he soon realized that what she did WAS strange, but there was no evil or maliciousness in it, she was only trying to help and i think he eventually saw the difference, and found that his love was worthy of her, that he finally loved a woman who was truly worth loving"

i totally agree! i think Claire's appearance reminds Tom of the wife he once loved, but Claire also has the character qualities that he respects.

Kelly wrote: "DG did something right with Echo because we are all still blogging about it.
I think DG was showing us how emotionally distraut Claire was she was contemplating suicide as well as going back thru..."

I'm really confused about something here. You write "she had earrings from LJ for this reason". WHEN does LJ find out about the stones? I re-read through all the scenes that I thought perhaps Brianna told John, but she never explicitly says that she's from 202 years in the future. Can anyone help me find that part? Because it's really bugging me....as far as I know, he just knows they are different, and that Brianna said he probably wouldn't ever see her again.

Rachel wrote: "Kelly wrote: "DG did something right with Echo because we are all still blogging about it.
I think DG was showing us how emotionally distraut Claire was she was contemplating suicide as well as g..."

Maybe I should rephrase this a little bit...perhaps he doesn't know all the gory details of where Brianna and Claire come from, but it was mentioned in Echo - if I remember correctly - Claire asked John if he believed Brianna....I just don't recall him ever finding out.

ChristinaRae wrote: "How suffer, do you think? Cold shoulder? No sex for month? Or will he take other measures?"

No he can't stand no sex for a month :) I think he will understand because he once found comfort in another while Claire was gone. But we all know that no matter what they cannot spent seconds apart. Remember when Jamie said that if claire was gone the sun would not set or rise in his world. AHHH!!

Hope he doesn't go boink "leghair" or someone else out of anger or spite. Doesn't sound like him though. I really think he will be hurt and feel betrayed but will forgive them both....but there may be a separation for awhile just to give us angst!

although i dont particularly like Tom Christie, the scene where he confesses his love for CLaire saying he's been giving his love for people who are not worthy and to allow him to give it now for someone that is ... has always been one of my most favorites in this series. plus the operation on his hand where they quoted psalm 23 at the last. love that too.

I liked Tom Chistie. He was a different type of man, but I think he did try to be a good man.