When visiting Scotland, married
World War II nurse Claire Randall is transported through time from 1945 back to 1743. There, she finds adventure, war and romance with the dashing
Highland warrior
Jamie Fraser. In the following novels, after the
Jacobite defeat at the
Battle of Culloden, Claire travels back to her time where she spends 20 years with her former husband
Frank Randall, becoming a medical doctor and a surgeon, and raising her and Jamie's daughter
Brianna. Finally, having discovered that Jamie survived the Battle of Culloden, she returns to 18th century Scotland and reunites with him. The couple settles in
North Carolina, and is soon joined by their daughter Brianna as well as many Scottish settlers. Gabaldon originally intended
Outlander to be straight
historical fiction, but after a few days of writing Claire she realized that the character did not behave like an 18th-century woman. Gabaldon eventually leaned into the modern approach to Claire, which prompted the introduction of
time travel. Claire is often described as stubborn and impatient, and she refuses to conform to the 18th century societal expectations of women. Practicing medicine and putting to use her 20th century medical knowledge leads to numerous accusations of witchcraft, including a
witch trial. ==
Outlander novels==