Outlander

They were odd circumstances, the ones that brought Claire Beauchamp and James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser together. She was married, a World War II army nurse, and at that, they were supposed to be on their second honeymoon. Sure, her husband Frank's history wasn't something that particularly interested Claire, but this was not supposed to be a trip for kindling a new romance...until strange things began to happen.

The men, the ones that found her in the field...they seem to think that her nightie is, well, a state of undress, and what's more, they're running from the English. It's only when she meets James that she realizes the truth: she's gone back in time, and the year is now 1743. She's taken to a high court and questioned: Who is she? Where does she come from?

Fortunately for Claire, although she's an 'outlander', someone ignorant of Scottish history, and a dreaded Englishwoman at that, she's a gifted healer. She's able to earn the trust of some of the villagers, and with them comes James, a dashing young man who Claire talks out of a wedding...but it appears her feelings are more than just general helpfulness.

As the book goes on, the questions grow: Will she be able to return home? What of her husband? And who is this mysterious stranger? Claire wonders, will she ever see Frank again? And more than that...if she doesn't, does she care?

Diana Gabaldon was born in Arizona on January 11, 1952. Daughter of Mexican-American and English parents, she took examples from both backgrounds when creating her books. She is most known for her outlander series, a series of romantic fiction books set in the 1700s. She also did a stint as a full time researcher on environmental studies at Arizona State University, and also taught classes at the same time. She is currently married to her husband, Doug, and they have had three children together.