Lost time
One of the most important themes of Go Tells the Bees That I Am Gone is lost time. In the novel, Jamie and Claire were torn apart by the Jacobite Uprising in 1746. They remained apart for over 20 years, until they were brought together again at their new home on Fraiser's Ridge. As a result, they lost a considerable amount of time that they would have had together as a married couple. This leads to some difficulty in their marriage; most importantly, though, it causes two of the biggest conflicts in the novel. Those conflicts come in the form of questions: should the couple and their children stay in the 1700s, and how they will deal with the impending Revolutionary War when it comes to them.
The trouble with an impending war
Another major theme in Go Tells the Bees That I Am Gone is the devastation of impending war. In 1746, Jamie and Claire were torn apart by a war called the Jacobite Uprising. Then, in the late 1700s, they are threatened once again by a new war: the American Revolutionary War. Wars, no matter how noble their intentions are, are wrought with pain, sorrow, and heartbreak. And families must make decisions everyday in the moments leading up the war that will change the course of their lives, or potentially end their lives and the lives of those they love (just like Jamie and Claire).
The unbreakable bonds of family
One of the most touching and important themes in the novel is the unbreakable bonds of family. Despite the difficult situations they find themselves in and the time that they spent apart, Claire and Jamie always find their way back to each other. Similarly, Brianna (Claire and Jamie's daughter) and Roger, Brianna's husband, stay together despite the tremendous death and violence around them, as well as the disease and dangers that surround them.
