Outlander (1991)

By: Diana Gabaldon

I started reading this novel when I was planning my trip to Scotland with my best friend. It follows the story of a WWII-era nurse that gets transported back to eighteenth-century Scotland and falls in with some highlanders. To save her life, she must marry one of the Scotsmen, though she still hopes to return home to her husband and her time.

Though I enjoyed the book when I started reading, I found it was so long, that I wouldn’t be able to finish it before I felt for Scotland. Plus, it was all very long-winded. Personally, I enjoyed watching the TV show more, which suited my needs just fine. That being said, I won’t be watching anything after the first season, given how it ended. But that’s just due to personal tastes about rape being in literature. I understand full well that it was a part of the time period, and is a very serious matter, but I prefer not to read about it.

Other than that, if you’re a fan of the series, of Scotland, of history, and/or of romance, check it out. Jamie and Claire are pretty adorable, and the story is compelling.