What impact does Brianna’s return have on Claire and Jamie? How does their presence change Jamie’s outlook on his immediate future and the future of Fraser’s Ridge? What does this say about the importance of family within the novel?

How does Claire’s medical education mark her as a healing, powerful force on the ridge? Consider characters who survived because of Claire’s training; how might the plot differ if these characters had not been saved?

Why does Claire instruct Fanny to keep her past to herself, and how does Fanny’s past influence her behavior in the present?