Written in My Own Heart's Blood

The title of this section translates as “The end of the world will come, but love and music will last,” referencing the upheaval of the American Revolution but also the enduring qualities of Jamie and Claire’s love and family. Gabaldon slows the pacing in this last chapter, writing only from Claire’s point of view throughout the denouement. Claire’s reflections on her marriage, family, and identity tie the resolution together for this book, while the arrival of Brianna, Roger, Jem, and Mandy set the stage for the next novel in the series.

Gabaldon reinforces the theme of forgiveness and explores the limits of grace in this conclusion. Jamie can forgive Jack Randall for his own rape but cannot forgive the “dirty fat lumpkin” who raped Claire (1086). Further, Gabaldon projects that it is a male’s duty to judge a man who rapes his wife for, as Janet explains, “a Hieland man canna live wi’ a man who’s raped his wife nearby—nor should he” (1088). This concept ties into the multiple references to Jamie’s stated duty of providing the protection of his body to his family, but also negates Claire’s attempted forgiveness. Meanwhile, Janet’s advice that Maggie keep silent about her rape reinforces the contention that a woman should carry the burden of rape silently while men are permitted to slay the rapists. Gabaldon may be demonstrating the mores of patriarchal society in the 18th century, but Claire’s acceptance that it is out of her hands once Jamie leaves is a departure from her characterization as a 20th-century woman. Claire appears to have settled into the culture of the past, which is illustrated when she visits Malva’s garden. She nicks her wrist with her knife and lets her blood drip upon the pokeweed while she speaks an incantation against ghosts.

The title of chapter 137 (In the Wilderness, a Lodging Place) references Jamie and Claire’s return to the Ridge. Jamie visits the tenants and makes building plans for the new house, including his “speak-a-word room” where he will tend to his tenant’s concerns (1094). He reunites with his stash of whiskey and gold, marking an end to the penury they’ve endured in Philadelphia and Savannah. Even the strawberries at the new house site make it evident that this is Jamie’s true home; the French word for strawberry is “fraise,” and their abundance at the house site displays that this is the home of fraise[r]. Claire too reconnects with her old life as a “conjure woman,” resuming her identity as they walk up the mountain “becoming again what I had last been in this place” (1064). She finds calm in the soil, digging up roots on the trail and working in the garden again. Although the war lurks in the background, she simplifies her concerns, buying goats and chickens and performing simple procedures like Fanny’s frenulum and the delivery of Rachel’s child. Both Jamie and Claire find solace in returning to their former life. Jamie is a warrior and Claire began her medical career as a battlefield nurse, but those identities are what they become in extremis. Within the serene tone and tranquil mood of this section is Gabaldon’s contention that humans are better when they live simply with love and family in abundance.