Thanks (as always! <g>) to Karen Henry, for pointing out that today (well, April 21st) is the birthday of Amanda Claire Hope MacKenzie (aka Mandy).
BORN, to Captain Roger MacKenzie of Fraser’s Ridge and his lady, a girl, on the twenty-first of April. Child and Mother are reported in good Health, the Child’s name given as Amanda Claire Hope MacKenzie.
Roger had never felt so terrified as he did when his newborn daughter was placed in his arms for the first time. Minutes old, skin tender and perfect as an orchid’s, she was so delicate he feared he would leave fingerprints on her—but so alluring that he had to touch her, drawing the back of his knuckle gently, so gently, down the perfect curve of her fat little cheek, stroking the black cobweb silk of her hair with an unbelieving forefinger.
(ABOSAA, chapter 114, “Amanda”)
So, in honor of the occasion….
EXCERPT from A BLESSING FOR A WARRIOR GOING OUT, Copyright © 2026 Diana Gabaldon
The front door was open, and Brianna heard Mandy’s shrieks—and her father’s Gaelic shouting—coming from the office before she’d reached the porch.
“What the Sam Hill is going on in here?” she said, skidding to a stop in the office doorway. Mandy was crouched in a ball on top of the desk, her grandfather crouched protectively in front of her, armed with a bottle of whisky.
“Fuirich air ais!” her father said, rising urgently to motion her back. “Dinna get in its way!”
“It…?” She glanced hurriedly around, but saw no threat. Then the snake coiled in the corner moved like lightning and shot between her legs before she could scream. Her father grabbed Mandy off the desk and clutched her tightly, still holding the bottle for defense.
“Gaah,” Brianna said. Her heart was thundering, but she’d had a quick glimpse of the snake’s tail as it swarmed past her. She swallowed, and took a deep breath. She put out a hand to her father, who reluctantly relinquished Mandy into her arms.
“Is it gone, a nighean?”
“Yes. It went out the front door. It’s probably headed for Georgia.” Mandy had stopped shrieking, but was shaking and sobbing.
“It’s all right, Baby,” Brianna said, patting her daughter and hoping she sounded reassuring. “It’s not a bad snake.”
“’Es it is!” Mandy’s arms and legs were wrapped around her mother.
“Ye’re sure?” Her father’s voice was steady, but his hand was shaking and the bottle clinked as he set it back on its tray.
“It’s a gopher snake, Da,” she said, as soothingly as possible. “I told you about gopher snakes.”
“It rattled at us,” he said, glancing at the empty corner with dislike. “Did it no, a leanabh?” he asked Mandy, who nodded emphatically. She raised her hand and waved it in violent circles under Brianna’s nose.
“Wattle, wattle, wattle!”
“It’s a gopher snake,” Brianna repeated calmly. “My fath—” she caught herself with a lurch of the heart, “A neighbor we used to have would take me out to look for frogs and lizards and snakes, and he taught me how to catch them—and what they look like,” she added, with an arched brow at her present father, who had gone slightly pale at her slip.
“Mmphm,” he said, indicating reluctant willingness to concede her superior knowledge. “It did rattle, though,” he added, rather accusingly.
“Well, they do,” she acknowledged, setting Mandy down on the desk again. “They imitate rattlesnakes, to scare off anyone who might hurt them. They coil up, just like rattlers—” she nodded to her father, “and they scrape the scales on their tails back and forth so it sounds very much like a rattlesnake; you have to look twice to be sure there aren’t actually any rattles. They hiss, too,” she said, and moved by mischief, hissed through her front teeth, so convincingly that Mandy screamed again and her father went white and grabbed the little girl.
“It’s all right, mo gradh,” he said, and sounded very reassuring. He looked a bit less reassured himself, but she saw him put his agitation aside and fettle himself for the next emergency.
“Where’s the wee lad?” he asked, nodding matter-of-factly at the wet patches on her bodice.
“With his new uncle,” she said. “Getting acquainted.”
That wiped the last remnant of fear off her father’s face. He still looked wary—and no wonder, she thought—but his eyes had warmth now, and a sense of his joy touched her skin.
“Who’s Sam Hill?” Mandy asked, frowning.
Click to visit my official Book Ten webpage for information on A BLESSING FOR A WARRIOR GOING OUT, and to read more excerpts from it.
Images of framed snake art and a large snake in the house were both taken by me, Diana Gabaldon.
This excerpt was also posted on my official Facebook page on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
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I am sure you have heard the comment previously that your readers don’t want Outlander to ever end.
Episode 10 question/comment:
* Why did Clare not open Jamie’s vest and shirt as she had done so many times for other patients? My veteran husband always commented that the first thing that is done with a sucking chest would is cover the “hole.” But, she would have had to send someone to fetch her medicine kit that she dropped.
* Very glad the TV version circled back to the ghost of Jamie that Frank saw. I thought about the possibilities lengthily.
General Comments:
* Outlander has been a riveting and enriching experience over the last few years. After seeing the first season, I ordered the book from the library and thereafter bought books 1-9. I have read each one at least twice and I cannot imagine ever finding another book series as captivating.
* The research you have done educates as well as entertains. I am humbly in awe of you.
* If you have not already written the ending to Book 10, please consider letting Jamie and Clair survive to spend their golden years together back on the Ridge?
Thank you from a devoted fan.
What a life’s work! Wonderful combination of imagination, education, energy and extraordinary writing. I am eager to read the last book. I only hope that if there’s French in it, you obtained better help for it than in the earlier books. You are so careful with details etc. I’m dismayed by the errors or poor word choice in almost every dialogue; even a chapter title. Granted: few readers will know or care, but I have a feeling you do. Similarly, I’m sure very few viewers were taken aback by an 18th century Parisian waif exclaiming “Okay…” for the most part a twentieth century American exclamation. This critique aside, none of it can take away from the extraordinary contribution that is “Outlander.” No matter what, I’m still an unabashed fan.
I love the Outlander TV series but because of the depth and detail of the books they cannot compete.
Gentile Signora Gabaldon, sto aspettando con ansia il suo libro 10, sperando in un finale della saga di Outlander più reale e più be.lo di quello della serie, che qui in Italia vedrò su Sky domani 16 maggio 2026, ma del quale ho letto I commenti sul finale dal sito Reddit, non mi piace, lascia aperte tante storie..e conclusioni . La ringrazio ancora una volta per aver scritto una storia bellissima e spero, finalmente, che il finale sia positivo, dopo tanti dolori e tragedie dei vari personaggi, in particolare Jamie e Claire, amatissimi.
Thank you, Mrs. Gabaldon, from the bottom of my heart.
———–Translation via Google—————–
Dear Ms. Gabaldon, I am eagerly awaiting your tenth book, hoping for an ending to the *Outlander* saga that feels more authentic—and more beautiful—than that of the TV series. I am set to watch the series finale here in Italy on Sky tomorrow, May 16, 2026; however, having already read comments about it on Reddit, I must say I am not fond of it, as it leaves so many storylines and conclusions unresolved. I thank you once again for writing such a beautiful story, and I hope—finally—that the ending will be a happy one, after all the pain and tragedy endured by the various characters, particularly the beloved Jamie and Claire.
Thank you, Mrs. Gabaldon, from the bottom of my heart.
My life is so much better since I have met and became a friend of Jamie Fraser. Thank you for allowing me to have him in my life.
Buongiorno, sono italiana, ho letto I suoi libri, anzi li sto acquistando nella nuova e bella edizione Mondadori. Grazie per avere scritto dei libri cosi belli. Ho guardato la serie tantissime volte ed ora aspetto un finale positivo e di pace, sia per la serie che per il libro 10, dopo tante sofferenze dei protagonisti.
Outlander forever. I’m not ready for the end. Thank you
—————Translation via Google—————-
Good morning. I am Italian, and I have read your books—in fact, I am currently collecting the beautiful new Mondadori edition. Thank you for writing such wonderful books. I have watched the series countless times, and now I am hoping for a positive and peaceful ending—both for the series and for Book 10—after all the suffering the protagonists have endured.
Outlander forever. I’m not ready for the end. Thank you
Fantastic !! can’t wait for this book.
Thank you Diana. I love this book so much already.
You have no idea how much these excerpts are appreciated.
Have a wonderful Mother’s day.
Just watched episode 9. Absolutely loved it, Diana, especially Claire starting to write their story! Bemoaning the end next week and anxiously waiting for book 10.
This is the most riveting series I have read or watched maybe ever thank you