''Drums of Autumn'' is the fourth book in the ''Outlander'' series of novels by

Diana Gabaldon Diana J. Gabaldon (; born January 11, 1952) is an American author, known for the ''Outlander'' series of novels. Her books merge multiple genres, featuring elements of historical fiction, romance, mystery, adventure and science fiction/fantas ...

. Centered on

time travel Time travel is the concept of movement between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space by an object or a person, typically with the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine. Time travel is a ...

ling 20th century doctor

Claire Randall Claire Beauchamp (who adopts the surnames Randall, Fraser, and Grey at various times) is a fictional character in the ''Outlander'' series of multi-genre novels by American author Diana Gabaldon, and its television adaptation. In the series, C ...

and her 18th century

Scottish Highland The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland S ...

er warrior husband Jamie Fraser, the books contain elements of

historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other t ...

, romance,

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme ...

, and

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

. The fourth season of '' Outlander'', the TV series adaptation of Gabaldon's novels, is based on ''Drums of Autumn''.

Synopsis

The heroine of the bestselling '' Outlander'', Claire, returns in ''Drums of Autumn'', reunited with her husband Jamie Fraser and facing a new life in the

American colonies The Thirteen Colonies, also known as the Thirteen British Colonies, the Thirteen American Colonies, or later as the United Colonies, were a group of British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America. Founded in the 17th and 18th centur ...

. As the preceding novel, ''Voyager'', concluded with Jamie Fraser and his wife Claire shipwrecked on the

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

coastline in 1766 —and happy to be out of Scotland—''Drums of Autumn'' picks up where ''Voyager'' left off.

Plot

Jamie and Claire, as well as Fergus, Marsali, and Ian, make their way first to Charleston, and then Wilmington, before settling in the North Carolina foothills in hopes of building a homestead. Fergus' wife Marsali stayed behind on the island of Jamaica expecting the arrival of their first child. At the same time, Brianna Ellen Randall and her suitor, historian Roger Wakefield, remain safely ensconced in the 20th century. Now orphaned by her mother's departure to the past, Brianna struggles to accept her loss and satisfy her curiosity about a father she has never met, only to discover a tragic piece of "history" that threatens her parents' happiness in the past. This discovery sends Brianna back through time on a mission to save her parents that sends Roger after her.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Drums of Autumn Outlander (franchise) Novels about time travel 1996 American novels 1996 fantasy novels American historical novels Hispanic and Latino American novels Novels set in the 1760s Novels set in the 18th century Novels set in Georgia (U.S. state) Novels set in the American colonial era Fiction set in 1767 Fiction set in 1768 Fiction set in 1769 Fiction set in 1770 Novels set in South Carolina Novels set in North Carolina