Kell Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Cross Stitch Author: Diana Gabaldon ISBN# 0099911701 Publisher: Arrow Books 1st Published: 1991 863 pages In 1945, Claire Randall is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon in Scotland. Innocently she walks through a stone circle in the Highlands, and finds herself in a violent skirmish taking place in 1743. Suddenly she is a Sassenach, an outlander, in a country torn by war and by clan feuds. A wartime nurse, Claire can deal with the bloody wounds that face her. But it is harder to deal with the knowledge that she is in Jacobite Scotland and the carnage of Culloden is looming. Marooned amid the passion and violence, the superstition, the shifting allegiances and the fervent loyalties, Claire is in danger from Jacobites and Redcoats - and from the shock of her own desire for James Fraser, a gallant and courageous young Scots warrior. Jamie shows her a passion so fierce and a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire, and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives. Cross Stitch (published in the US as Outlander, which is, in my opinion, the far better title) is the first in the Outlander series & what a beginning it is! This is quite the freshest & most exhilarating read I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted February 9, 2006 Author Share Posted February 9, 2006 There is just one thing I forgot to mention in the review - I saw on the site why the UK version isn't called Outlander, but why did they choose the title Cross Stitch? To my mind, it's the only thing wrong with the book as it doesn't actually seem to relate to anything at all. Can anyone unravel this mystery for me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jake Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Answered by the author along with a few other questions here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Outlander just Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Answered by the author along with a few other questions here For goodness sake, why change a title (and cause confusion) just because the Americans don't like it?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted February 10, 2006 Author Share Posted February 10, 2006 I think the Americans got the better deasl - Outlander is the much better title & makes more sense with the story (to my mind) than faffing about with the meaning of cross stitch. Thanks for the link, though, I didn't spot that bit when I had a brief look at the site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted February 10, 2006 Author Share Posted February 10, 2006 I've now added this book to my sale or swap list if anyone's interested... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inanna Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 I've now added this book to my sale or swap list if anyone's interested... That would be me, I just saw it on Read It Swap It so I dashed over here mega quickly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted February 10, 2006 Author Share Posted February 10, 2006 Someone else just requsted it on RISI, so I had to turn them down. Seems it's a popular book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inanna Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 Yes it is, everytime a copy is on there its snapped up real quick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leah Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 Glad you liked the book Kell. Hope you can find the subsequent ones as well. I love books set in Scotland even though I've never been there. And I related to her storyline as far as location goes in later books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booknutt Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 It's high time there was a bit more chat on this topic, fellow historical-bookworms This fantastic series is now 7 strong, and no sign of stopping! Personally, I'm glad it's called "Cross Stitch" in Britain, for if it hadn't been, I'd never have picked the first novel up. I was obsessed with cross stitch emboidery in those days, and historicals are my first-love in novels, so I was hooked twice over. I read the first 3 in the series when each was newly published, then forget to keep up with the rest, so when I spotted dear-old Cross Stitch on the shelves the other day I couldn't resist starting my own journey back into the past. I'd forgotten how good this author is. Her lead character,Claire has a very practical streak, and a wonderful wry wit, which will have helped her through the grim experience of (Second World war) wartime nursing. Not to mention the experience of arriving back in the year of 1743, fighting off a disrespectful stranger (who thinks her cotton dress is underclothes!) , and then dealing with the rough-and-ready Scotsmen she finds herself among having been rescued. I loved their shock at the range of her swearing vocabularly . Claire is used to being adaptable though - and finds her feet pretty quickly, not least as there's lots of nursing duties for her among the people she finds herself with. I'm only about a third of the way through yet, but I've already got the next 2 of the series on the way, and have 4 more to date to look forward to. What lovely project for our incoming Winter - anyone fancy joining me in a bit of time travelling? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 I've read the first 2 books in the series & have got the next 2 on my TBR pile , i've enjoyed what i've read so far & i agree they're good books to curl up with on a winters night I've also got a few of The Lord John books she wrote to read yet as well. Let me know when you get as far as the the 3rd book it would be good fun to read it at the same time & compare notes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booknutt Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 Great idea, Kidsmum - I might be a few weeks or so in getting back to you,- they're whoppin' big novels, as we know - but I won't forget. Anyone else interested in joining our mini online bookgroup? Newcomers to the series or old friends? It's much more fun to together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booknutt Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Have just requested "Through the Stones" (a companion book to the first 4 novels of the series) from my local Library. It's also published in America as "The Outlandish Companion". Anyone ever read this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booknutt Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 Finished "Dragonfly in Amber" last night ... finally. Wow - they're great "reads" but one could gain white hairs while travellng through them. Are you out there, Bookworm? I'll polish off a Philippa Gregory over the weekend . Then next week I could start "Voyager" - going boldly with Claire and Jamie on their adventures -?. If that's a bit short notice for you let me know - I've got plenty to keep me going till we're both ready Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted October 26, 2012 Author Share Posted October 26, 2012 I never did get round to reading the rest of the series. At some point I'll get hold of the first one for a re-read again and see how I feel about continuing with the series then, but it'll be a while as I have so many unread books these days! Back then, I don't think my TBR pile ever got about 15-20 books, but nowadays it's never below 70-80 - LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booknutt Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 (edited) The only way I can describe the experience of reading this series is ... by the gut! Whatever Claire or Jamie are doing/having done to them - pleasant or horrific - Diana Gabaldon has the gift of inviting us to live it with them, to the full. . In "Dragonfly in Amber" for instance one of the characters who Claire originally met at the hospital where he worked voluntarily, visited the home of Claire and Jamie for a social call. During the visit he described in chilling detail the skills of his job, in which he was first-rate. He was a hangman, and was about to travel to England to hang traitors to the Crown. I was totally repelled by his description of the process of not-quite killing a man by hanging, so he could be alive to feel and witness his own disembowelment - but I couldn't stop reading! In fact, what he was doing was warning Jamie off returning to England, where he also was wanted for (fabricated) crimes against the Crown. He was taken very seriously - by them both! It's that kind of detail which makes this series so good. Squeeze "Cross Stitch" in, Kell - you won't regret it. Edited October 27, 2012 by Booknutt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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