Monday 5 September 2011

Written With My Heart's Own Blood

Pardon?  I hear you cry! Well it seems that Diana Gabaldon has finally come up with a title for the much awaited "book eight" and so it's officially going to be called "Written With My Heart's Own Blood".   Now it's the first book she has written whose title bears a first person perspective so at this stage we aren't quite sure whose blood we are talking about.

Over on compuserve she says "...  the Gaelic endearment "A chuisle" (pronounced--I'm told--"acushla")--which we've heard/seen in the books before--actually _means_ "my heart's blood."  Used of a child, usually."

Therefore I can only conclude that the story emphasis's the relationship between parents and their children and I can certainly see that this subject will be infused greatly in Written With My Heart's Own Blood, or WWMHOB as it's bound to get called sooner or later!  The end of An Echo in the Bone left us with William not knowing which way was up after finding out that his natural father was actually a rebel Scottish highlander rather than the genteel English gentleman he has always been lead to believe plus we also have Roger being forced to leave his wife and daughter behind in order to search for Jem who he thinks has been whisked away into the past by Rob Cameron.  In addition of course there are many other parent and child relationships thoughout the story which will link in with the new title.

I just have to say ..... SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Edit: Just to add the name is now officially "Written in my own heart's blood" not much of a difference but a difference none the less!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice take on the title.

Lady Du Bois

Anonymous said...

I double your SQEEEE and add a double pump WHOOO FREAKING HOOO!!! can't wait!! I like your take.. and don't forget the letters from Claire to Bree.... What a great title!

Nancy Metz

Anonymous said...

so much to think about! can't wait for this book, will have to start a re-read soon!

Robert King said...

OMG! I'm such a huge fan of Diana's attention to detail I can't believe I'm going to say this, but she's a little off.

"A chuisle" is actually the shortened version of "a chuisle mo chroí" (pronounced something like uh kwish-la moe cree) and is how you would address someone. If I'm talking to my daughter, I say "A chuisle" and if I'm talking about my daughter I say "mo chuisle", unless I'm talking to her mother after she's been naughty...in that case I say "your daughter". :)

If you're interested, mo chuisle mo chroí means the beat (pulse) of my heart...which is close, but not quite my heart's own blood. I know, I was shocked too.