If your book club is looking for an addictive read that will pull at your heartstrings, try Outlander, the genre-bending novel by Diana Gabaldon.
Outlander begins in 1946 with Claire Randall, a British combat nurse, who is still feeling the shock of war when she goes on a second honeymoon with her husband to rekindle their relationship. While visiting an ancient stone circle, she steps through a standing stone and travels through time to 18th century Scotland, where she quickly meets Jamie Fraser, a Scottish warrior just injured in battle. After Claire nurses his wounds, she is adopted into his clan, where no one knows quite what to make of the Sassenach, or outlander.
As Claire and Jamie’s adventure in the Scottish Highlands unfolds, Claire finds herself torn between loyalty to a distant husband and the all-consuming passion she feels for Jamie. Traveling back and forth through the stones, she must confront her past (future?) and attempt to follow her heart.
Outlander is part historical fiction, part fantasy, part adventure. But most of all, it is a love story that grabs hold of you and won’t let go. Claire’s intelligence, wit, and resourcefulness, and her desperate love for Jamie, the brave and passionate Highlander, will stay with you long after you read the last page.
Gabaldon’s popular eight-book saga became the basis for the Outlander television series that is now in its sixth season.