Diana Gabaldon - The Fiery Cross

Contents

This book is for my Sister, Theresa Gabaldon,
with whom I told the first Stories.

Gabaldon is a born storyteller.Los Angeles Daily News

PRAISE FOR DIANA GABALDONS
OUTLANDER NOVELS

THE FIERY CROSS

INTRICATE AND FASCINATING.

The Dallas Morning News

COMPLEX AND ENGROSSING... THE WRITING IS SUPERBLUSH, EVOCATIVE, SENSUAL, WITH A WEALTH OF HISTORICAL DETAIL AND A GOOD DEAL OF HUMOR.

Library Journal

EXCITING AND INSIGHTFUL... LOADED WITH
ACTION... FANS OF THE SERIES WILL BE DELIGHTED WITH THIS NOVEL....

Midwest Book Review

AN ENTERTAINING AND SWEEPING SAGA OF HISTORY TOLD BY ONE OF AMERICAS OUTSTANDING NOVELISTS.

Abilene Reporter-News

SPRAWLING... VIVID, INCREDIBLY DETAILED.

Detroit Free Press

Please turn the page for more extraordinary acclaim....

OUTLANDER

MARVELOUSLY ENTERTAINING... A PAGE-TURNER OF THE HIGHEST ORDER AND A GOOD READ FROM START TO FINISH.

Chattanooga Times

ABSORBING AND HEARTWARMING... LAVISHLY EVOKES THE LAND AND LORE OF SCOTLAND.

Publishers Weekly

HISTORY COMES DELICIOUSLY ALIVE ON THE PAGE.

Daily News (N.Y.)

DRAGONFLY IN AMBER

A TRIUMPH! A POWERFUL TALE LAYERED IN HISTORY AND MYTH. I LOVED EVERY PAGE.

Nora Roberts

COMPULSIVELY READABLE.

Publishers Weekly

DIANA GABALDON IS A BORN STORYTELLER.... THE PAGES PRACTICALLY TURN THEMSELVES.

The Arizona Republic

VOYAGER

TRIUMPHANT... HER USE OF HISTORICAL DETAIL AND A TRULY ADULT LOVE STORY CONFIRM GABALDONAS A SUPERIOR WRITER.

Publishers Weekly

AN AMAZING READ.

Arizona Tribune

MEMORABLE STORYTELLING.

The Seattle Times

DRUMS OF AUTUMN

UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTERS... RICHLY EMBROIDERED WITH HISTORICAL DETAIL... I JUST
CANT PUT IT DOWN.

The Cincinnati Post

PASSIONATE... REMARKABLEA MIX OF HISTORY, FANTASY, ROMANCE AND UNABASHEDLY
RIBALD STORYTELLING.

The Arizona Republic

WONDERFUL... THIS IS ESCAPIST HISTORICAL
FICTION AT ITS BEST.

San Antonio Express-News

I have lived through war, and lost much. I know whats worth the fight, and what is not.

Honor and courage are matters of the bone, and what a man will kill for, he will sometimes die for, too.

And that, O kinsman, is why a woman has broad hips; that bony basin will harbor a man and his child alike. A mans life springs from his womans bones, and in her blood is his honor christened.

For the sake of love alone, would I walk through fire again.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors profound thanks to...

... my editor, Jackie Cantor, always the books champion above all.

... my agent, Russ Galen, whos always on my side, with shield and lance.

... Stacey Sakal, Tom Leddy, and the other wonderful Production people who have sacrificed their time, talent, and mental health to the production of this book.

... Kathy Lord, that rarest and most delightful of creatures, an excellent copy editor.

... Virginia Norey, the books designer (aka Book Goddess), who somehow managed to fit the Whole Thing between two covers and make it look great.

... Irwyn Applebaum and Nita Taublib, publisher and deputy publisher, who came to the party, and brought their stuff.

... Rob Hunter and Rosemary Tolman, for unpublished information on the War of the Regulation and their very colorful and interesting ancestors, James Hunter and Hermon Husband. (No, I dont make all these people up; just some of them.)

... Beth and Matthew Shope, and Liz Gaspar, for information on North Carolina Quaker history and beliefs. (And we do note as a matter of strict accuracy that Hermon Husband was not technically a Quaker at the time of this story, having been put out of the local Meeting for being too inflammatory.)

... Bev LaFlamme, Carol Krenz, and their (respectively) French and French-Canadian husbands (who no doubt wonder just what sort of friends their wives have, anyway), for expert opinions on the subtleties of French bowel movements, and help with Very Picturesque French idioms.

... Julie Giroux, for Rogers music, and the marvelous Culloden Symphony. Roy Williamson for The Flower of Scotland (words and music) copyright The Corries (music) Ltd.

... Roger H.P. Coleman, R.W. Odlin, Ron Parker, Ann Chapman, Dick Lodge, Olan Watkins, and many members of the Compuserve Masonic Forum for information on Freemasonry and Irregular Lodges, circa 1755 (which was a good bit prior to the establishment of the Scottish Rite, so lets not bother writing me about that, shall we?)

... Karen Watson and Ron Parker, for advice on WWII London Tube Stationswith which I proceeded to take minor technical liberties.

... Steven Lopata, Hall Elliott, Arnold Wagner, R.G. Schmidt, and Mike Jones, honorable warriors all, for useful discussions of how men think and behave, before, during, and after battle.

... R.G. Schmidt and several other nice persons whose names I unfortunately forgot to write down, who contributed bits and pieces of helpful information regarding Cherokee belief, language, and custom. (The bear-hunting chant ending with Yoho! is a matter of historical record. There are lots of things I couldnt make up if I tried.)

... the Chemodurow family, for generously allowing me to take liberties with their personae, in portraying them as Russian swineherds. (Russian boars really were imported into North Carolina for hunting in the18th century. This may have something to do with the popularity of barbecue in the South.)

... Laura Bailey, for invaluable advice and commentary on 18th century costume and customsmost of which I paid careful attention to.

... Susan Martin, Beth Shope, and Margaret Campbell, for expert opinions on the flora, fauna, geography, weather, and mental climate of North Carolina (and all of whom wish to note that only a barbarian would put tomatoes in barbecue sauce). Aberrations in these aspects of the story are a result of inadvertence, literary license, and/or pigheadedness on the part of the author.

... Janet McConnaughey, Varda Amir-Orrel, Kim Laird, Elise Skidmore, Bill Williams, Arlene McCrea, Lynne Sears Williams, Babs Whelton, Joyce McGowan, and the dozens of other kind and helpful people of the Compuserve Writers Forum, who will answer any silly question at the drop of a hat, especially if it has anything to do with maiming, murder, disease, quilting, or sex.

... Dr. Ellen Mandell, for technical advice on how to hang someone, then cut his throat, and not kill him in the process. Any errors in the execution of this advice are mine.

... Piper Fahrney, for his excellent descriptions of what it feels like to be taught to fight with a sword.

... David Cheifetz, for dragon-slaying.

... Iain MacKinnon Taylor, for his invaluable help with Gaelic translations, and his lovely suggestions for Jamies bonfire speech.