Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A convoluted, long-winded tome from Gabaldon (Voyager, 1994, etc.), who brings back the Scottish rebel Jamie Fraser and Claire, a time-traveler from the 20th century and the love of his life, as they face the late 18th century with characteristic aplomb. This time out, Jamie and Claire arrive in the US from Great Britain and are joined by Jamie's teenage nephew Ian. Although vividly drawn and well-developed, all three characters quickly become tangential; from the very first scene, set in Charleston in 1767, it is clear that the focus is to be not on them but on the ``hot button'' issues of the time: British/American tension, slavery, Indians, and impending war. There's a secondary storyline as well, which takes place in the late 20th century and involves Jamie and Claire's college-student daughter Brianna and her desperate attempts to find love in her present-day life while simultaneously striving to rejoin her mother--and Jamie, the father she has never known--in the past. Roger Wakefield, a Scottish student who helped Claire travel back in time in the previous books, is the object of Brianna's affection now; the fact that he knows about Brianna's parents' unusual situation allows him both to win her heart for eternity and also help her rejoin her loved ones, in very unusual fashion. Conflict between Claire's past and present lives is omnipresent; at various times she's forced to perform surgery (she was a doctor in 20th-century England), explain TV, and reminisce about life with the husband she had in modern times, pre- Jamie. Ghost story, historical novel, fantasy, stock romance? In her attempt to be all things to all people, Gabaldon has created a 900- page monster with far too many components. Only for the author's most rabid fans. (Author tour)

Library Journal
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Fourth in a series (e.g., Outlander, LJ 7/91), with at least two more titles planned, this novel continues Gabaldon's successful time travel/romance saga. Set mostly in the years 1767-1770 but with some scenes in the "present" (the late 1960s), this fantasy features 20th-century Englishwoman Claire and her 18th-century Scottish husband, Jamie, who struggle to set up a home in the wilds of the American South. Their grown daughter, Brianna, comes from the present to seek her parents and is followed by her would-be lover, Roger. In a work that will be eagerly sought by readers of her previous novels, Gabaldon continues to explore the themes of love, marriage, and family through time. Though reading the entire series would be best, first-time readers can generally follow with a minimum of confusion. Sites on the World Wide Web already have chapters and discussion areas for this book, so be prepared. Gabaldon truly delivers.-Rebecca Sturm Kelm, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Gabaldon continues her series of massive time-travel romances starring Claire Mackenzie (nee Randall) and her beloved Highlander, Jaimie. Although parts of the book take place in the present, most of the tale is laid in Charleston, South Carolina, before the American Revolution--in the 1760s, to be precise. There the Scots exiles live under the long shadow of Culloden and the gallows and sense the first political winds that eventually turned into revolution. Gabaldon is clearly trying to write on the same scale as Margaret Mitchell, and in terms of length and of thoroughness of research, largely succeeds (this is no Braveheart: Gabaldon has done her historical homework). She has also created a large cast of characters, most of them archetypal but good of their kind, and has achieved pacing that is sufficiently brisk to help rather than hinder her plethoric tome's other qualities by holding reader attention. Furthermore, it is quite possible to start the Highlander saga with this book, although dedicated followers of this giant among time-travel romances will enjoy it even more. --Roland Green

Publishers Weekly
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Gabaldon has few rivals in writing exciting?and hefty?historical romances. The fourth in a series of linked sagas (Outlander; Dragonfly in Amber; Voyager), her new epic has a delicious premise. Claire Randall, the post-WWII bride of historian Frank Randall, steps through a skew in the Scottish stone circle Craigh na Dun and lands in Revolutionary America and the arms of Highlander Jamie Fraser?putting a new spin on the notion of a two-timing woman. Bold and bawdy, but a believing Catholic, Claire struggles to live a rich and moral life?or, rather, rich and moral lives?under these extraordinary circumstances. Claire's adventures in 18th-century Charleston alternate with equally engaging chapters devoted to her 20th-century daughter, Brianna. Raised as Frank Randall's child, Bree discovers that Jamie Fraser is her real sire. She takes off on a harrowing, confrontational quest through time and space with her suitor, Roger Wakefield, in hot pursuit. Gabaldon's range is impressive, whether she's evoking the rawness of colonial America, the cozy clutter of a modern Scottish parsonage, the lusts of the body or the yearnings of the spirit. Her legion of fans will love diving into this ocean of romance. Major ad/promo; Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club featured alternates; author tour. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

This fourth installment of the winning saga begun in Outlander (LJ 7/91) spotlights Brianna, the daughter of 18th-century Jamie and his time-traveling 20th-century wife, Claire, who joins her parents in the wilds of the Colonial Carolinas. Prompted by a desire to forestall the fatal fire she knows is their fate, Brianna is trailed as she leaps back in time and across the Atlantic by her historian boyfriend, Roger. Romantic complications, intrigue, and treachery ensue. Actor Geraldine James provides a graceful reading, but devoted fans of the series may feel shortchanged by the condensation of the 896-page novel (LJ 11/15/96) to a six-hour performance. Recommended for large audio collections.?Linda Bredengerd, Univ. of Pittsburgh Lib., Bradford, Pa. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The author's best-selling time travel romance series (e.g., Dragonfly in Amber, LJ 7/92) continues as soulmates Jamie and Claire arrive in South Carolina on the eve of the American Revolution. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.