1771: the Colony of North Carolina stands in an uneasy balance, with the colonial aristocracy on one side and the pioneers on the other. Between them stands Jamie Fraser, and by his side his extraordinary wife, Claire. In the past, her knowledge has brought both danger and deliverance. Now it could be a flickering torch that will light their way through the perilous years ahead—or might ignite a conflagration that will leave their lives in ashes.
