Written in My Own Heart's Blood Quotes

“…but Sassenach—I am the true home of your heart, and I know that.”

He lifted my hands to his mouth and kissed my upturned palms, one and then the other, his breath warm and his beard-stubble soft on my fingers.

“I have loved others, and I do love many, Sassenach—but you alone hold all my heart, whole in your hands,” he said softly. “And you know that.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“Jem made the little Scottish noise again, and Brianna looked sideways at him.
"Are you doing that on purpose?"
He looked up at her, surprised. "Doing what?"
"Never mind. When you are fifteen, I'm locking you in the cellar."
"What? Why?" he demanded indignantly.
"Because that's when your father and grandfather started getting into real trouble, and evidently you're going to be just like them.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“Ye always carry your women wi ye into battle, Ian Og. They're the root of your strength, man.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“Thy life’s journey lies along its own path, Ian,” she said, “and I cannot share thy journey—but I can walk beside thee. And I will.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“My own eyes went to Jamie, who had come to join Fergus and Ian by the sideboard. Still here, thank God. Tall and graceful, the soft light making shadows in the folds of his shirt as he moved, a fugitive gleam from the long straight bridge of his nose, the auburn wave of his hair. Still mine. Thank God.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“He reached out a long arm and drew me in, holding me close against him. I put my arms around him and felt the quiver of his muscles, exhausted, and the sheer hard strength still in him, that would hold him up, no matter how tired he might be. We stood quite still for some time, my cheek against his chest and his face against my hair, drawing strength from each other for whatever might come next. Being married.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“I have loved others, and I do love many, Sassenach—but you alone hold all my heart, whole in your hands,” he said softly. “And you know that.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“I know what it felt . . . like when I . . . thought you were dead, and-" A small gasp for breath, and her eyes locked on his. "And I wouldn't do that to you." Her bosom fell and her eyes closed.
It was a long moment before he could speak.
"Thank ye, Sassenach," he whispered, and held her small, cold hand between his own and watched her breathe until the moon rose.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“I may be out of bed, but I’m in no way equipped to conduct hypothetical conversations before I’ve had a cup of tea.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“So now it's space and time," he said. "You ever watch Doctor Who on PBS?"
"All the time," she said dryly, "on the BBC. And don't think I wouldn't sell my soul for a TARDIS.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“I put back my head, looking up at the deep black sky swimming with hot stars. If you knew they were really balls of flaming gas, you could imagine them as Van Gogh saw them, without difficulty . . . and looking into that illuminated void, you understood why people have always looked up into the sky when talking to God. You need to feel the immensity of something very much bigger than yourself, and there it is - immeasurably vast, and always near at hand. Covering you.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“I have loved ye since I saw you, Sassenach,” he said very quietly, holding my eyes with his own, bloodshot and lined with tiredness but very blue. “I will love ye forever. It doesna matter if ye sleep with the whole English army—well, no,” he corrected himself, “it would matter, but it wouldna stop me loving you.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“IN THE LIGHT OF eternity, time casts no shadow. Your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. But what is it that the old women see? We see necessity, and we do the things that must be done. Young women don’t see—they are, and the spring of life runs through them. Ours is the guarding of the spring, ours the shielding of the light we have lit, the flame that we are. What have I seen? You are the vision of my youth, the constant dream of all my ages.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“So you've not only somehow married Fraser's wife, but you've accidentally been raising his illegitimate son for the last fifteen years?”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“Advice? You're too old to be given it and too young to take it.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“For the moment, everything had disappeared: the church, the battle, the screams and shouts and the rumble of limber wheels along the rutted road through Freehold. There wasn't anything but her and him, and he opened his eyes to look on her face, to fix it in his mind forever.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“And I don’t recommend murder as a way of settling difficult situations. It tends to lead to complications—but not nearly as many as marriage.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“We thought you were dead, you bloody arsehole!” he said, furious. “Both of us! Dead! And we—we—took too much to drink one night—very much too much … We spoke of you … and … Damn you, neither one of us was making love to the other—we were both fucking you!”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“A trained surgeon is also a potential killer, and an important bit of the training lies in accepting the fact. Your intent is entirely benign - or at least you hope so - but your are laying violent hands on someone, and you must be ruthless in order to do it effectively. And sometimes the person under your hands will die, and knowing that . . . you do it anyway.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“His Grace woke up in the morning red-eyed as a ferret and in roughly the same temper as a rabid badger. Had I a tranquilizing dart, I would have shot him with it without an instant's hesitation.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“But what I do say is that there is nothing in this world or the next that can take ye from me—or me from you.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“Thee is my wolf,” she’d said to him. “And if thee hunts at night, thee will come home.” “And sleep at thy feet,” he’d replied.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“The law's a necessary evil--we canna be doing without it--but do ye not think it a poor substitute for conscience?”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“Well, I suppose men can make all the laws they like," he said, "but God made hope. The stars willna burn out." He turned and, cupping my chin, kissed me gently. "And nor will we.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“Your mother said that Fraser sent her back to me, knowing that I would protect her--and you. ... And like him, perhaps I send you back, knowing---as he knew of me--that he will protect you with his life. I love you forever, Brianna. I know whose child you truly are. With all my love, Dad.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“Brave' covers everything from complete insanity and bloody disregard of other people's lives - generals tend to go in for that sort - to drunkenness, foolhardiness, and outright idiocy - to the sort of thing that will make a man sweat and tremble and throw up . . . and go and do what he thinks he has to do anyway.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“Dorothea is a Grey,” he pointed out. “Any member of her family would pause on the gallows to exchange witty banter with the hangman before graciously putting the noose about his neck with his own hands.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“marriage is made not in ritual or in words but in the living of it.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“IN THE LIGHT OF eternity, time casts no shadow. Your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. But what is it that the old women see? We see necessity, and we do the things that must be done. Young women don’t see—they are, and the spring of life runs through them. Ours is the guarding of the spring, ours the shielding of the light we have lit, the flame that we are. What have I seen? You are the vision of my youth, the constant dream of all my ages. Here I stand on the brink of war again, a citizen of no place, no time, no country but my own … and that a land lapped by no sea but blood, bordered only by the outlines of a face long-loved.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood

“...he found that after prolonged contact with Claire and her opinions, he had much less trust in physicians that heretofore - and he hadn't had much to begin with.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Written in My Own Heart's Blood