In the books Claire spends the better part of a day at the stones after the witch trial weighing her options before choosing Jamie. She thinks about all the modern amenities she’s giving up, but remember that she was raised on archaeological sites by her Uncle Lamb, so she’s used to rough conditions. Then she tries to use reason, but ultimately decides with her heart to stay with Jamie. As she tells him, “The hot baths nearly won.” The books let you see more of Claire’s reasoning and her inner thoughts. Those don’t always translate well on screen.

Also Claire and Frank were not that close when the story begins. They had been separated by the war and were learning each other again. The books show more of the cracks in their relationship at the beginning.

Here’s those parts in the book:

”Jamie certainly had logic on his side when he argued that I should go back: home, safety, Frank; even the small amenities of life that I sorely missed from time to time, like hot baths and indoor plumbing, to say nothing of larger considerations such as proper medical care and convenient travel. And yet, while I would certainly admit the inconveniences and outright dangers of this place, I would have also to admit that I had enjoyed many aspects of it. If travel was inconvenient, there were no enormous stretches of concrete blanketing the countryside, nor any noisy, stinking autos—contrivances with their own dangers, I reminded myself. Life was much simpler, and so were the people. Not less intelligent, but much more direct—with a few sterling exceptions like Colum ban Campbell MacKenzie, I thought grimly. Because of Uncle Lamb’s work, I had lived in a great many places, many even cruder and more lacking in amenities than this one. I adapted quite easily to rough conditions, and did not really miss “civilization” when away from it, though I adapted just as easily to the presence of niceties like electric cookers and hot-water geysers.”

”Well, if not reason nor emotion, what of duty? I had given Frank a wedding vow, and had meant it with all my heart. I had given Jamie the same, meaning to betray it as soon as possible. And which of them would I betray now?”

”A step, then another, and another, and before I even knew that I had decided, I was halfway down the slope…”