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Joan MacKimmie is the younger daughter of Laoghaire and Simon MacKimmie, and sister to Marsali Fraser. She leaves Scotland to become a nun in Paris – a vocation she's chosen after hearing voices in her head.
Personal History[]
Joan was born to Simon MacKimmie and Laoghaire MacKenzie in 1753. Her father died in prison when she was quite young.
At some point Joan foresaw the death of Angus MacWheen, who was ill. A few weeks later she also saw death's shadow on the second of Vhairi Fraser's sons, a small child, who four days after the Seeing was crushed in the lane by a maddened ox. Joan was deeply upset and conflicted when she heard of it. Soon after she made a decision to become a nun in France.
Events of the Novels[]
Voyager[]
Joan comes to Lallybroch with her mother and sister at Jenny's request. They are quickly sent back to Balriggan by Jamie. Later on the Artemis, Marsali speaks of Joan when talking about their childhood to Claire.
An Echo in the Bone[]
Joan seeks out Jamie and Claire Fraser during their stay in Lallybroch, to convince them to help her achieve her dream of becoming a nun in France. She enlists Jamie's help in convincing Laoghaire to marry Joey, so that she can receive her dowry and become a nun with a clear conscience.
Claire offers to escort Joan to Paris, where she could join Mother Hildegarde's convent, to which Joan agrees. However, because of an emergency in America Claire is forced to return there, leaving Joan to be escorted by the recently widowed Michael Murray instead.
"The Space Between"[]
Joan is escorted to Paris by recently-widowed Michael Murray. She hopes to become a nun to quieten the voices in her head and manage the strange gift of Sight she has. Joan is dazzled by Paris and eager to enter the Convent of des Anges. She quickly settles into life as a postulant, though the voices continue.
Not long after her arrival, she is kidnapped by the Comte St. Germain, who believes her to be Claire's daughter and takes her to an underground cavern to see if she, like the Comte (and Claire) can "hear" the stones. Joan does not hear anything, suggesting that despite her powers, she is not a time traveler. Master Raymond arrives in the cavern and states that Joan is not "one of his." At this point, Michael arrives to rescue Joan. The pair watch in disbelief as Master Raymond and the Comte St. Germain travel into the past, disappearing into thin air in front of their eyes.
Though she has developed an attraction to Michael and he to her, they tacitly agree to reevaluate their relationship after Joan has been a postulant at the convent for a year. However, they kiss before parting.
Personality[]
Though stern in aspect, Joan is thoughtful and logical, and gives great consideration to her intended vocation as a nun. She is generally kind-hearted, and internally chastises herself for uncharitable thoughts. When she is kidnapped, she leaves signs of a "considerable struggle" and she ingeniously leaves her rosary in the Comte's window to signal her location to Michael.
Physical Appearance[]
She has a long, solemn face, with the shape of her mother's eyes and nose but otherwise tall, dark, and heavy-browed. Jamie notes that she has a mouth not used to smiling. Not a great beauty, but has "a certain dignity about her that was attractive."[4] However, several French men express the belief that Joan's choice to enter a convent is a "waste of a fine arse."[5]
Relationships[]
Name[]
- Joan is a Medieval English form of Johanne, an Old French form of Iohanna (Joanna),[6] an English and Polish form of Latin Iohanna, which was derived from Greek Ιωαννα (Ioanna), the feminine form of Ioannes (JOHN)[7] the Latin form of the Greek name Ιωαννης (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan) meaning "YAHWEH is gracious".[8]
- MacKimmie is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Shimidh, a patronymic from a Gaelic equivalent to the name Simon,[9] from Σιμων (Simon), the New Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name שִׁמְעוֹן (Shim'on) which meant "he has heard".[10]
Trivia[]
TV Series[]
Actress Layla Burns portrays Young Joan on the Outlander TV series.
Appearances[]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Age as of the end of Written in My Own Heart's Blood.
- ↑ An Echo in the Bone, chapter 79. The actress who portrays Joan in the television series has red hair.
- ↑ Jamie became Joan's stepfather when he married her mother, Laoghaire. As part of the legal contract ending their marriage a few years later, Jamie agreed to continue supporting Laoghaire and her daughters financially; more importantly, Jamie continued to love Marsali and Joan as his own children.
- ↑ An Echo in the Bone, chapter 79.
- ↑ "The Space Between".
- ↑ Behind the Name: Joan. Accessed 27 May 2016.
- ↑ Behind the Name: Joanna. Accessed 27 May 2016.
- ↑ Behind the Name: John. Accessed 27 May 2016.
- ↑ House of Names: MacKimmie. Accessed 27 May 2016.
- ↑ Behind the Name: Simon. Accessed 27 May 2016.