A
NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
EDITORS' CHOICE PICK
“Engrossing . . . [A] richly researched and vivid double portrait.”
—
Phyllis Rose
, The Atlantic
“A love story, an adventure story, two literary biographies in one;
A Wilder Shore
is these things and more—and it's very, very good.” —Roddy Doyle, Booker Prize-winning author of
Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
and
The Women Behind the Door
The extraordinary story of the creative and romantic partnership between Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife and muse, Fanny Van de Grift
He was an ambitious but drifting writer from a prominent Scottish family. She was a tough Nevada silver miner’s wife, with children, when they met. Who could have predicted that Fanny Van de Grift and Robert Louis Stevenson would go on to create one of history’s great literary marriages?
From their first encounter in France in 1876, Fanny and Louis’s partnership transcended societal expectations to become a literary union that was progressive, eccentric, and tempestuous, but always animated by a profound mutual respect. Seeking creative freedom, inspiration, and better health for Louis, who battled chronic illness, they embarked on a whirlwind journey around the world, from the bohemian enclaves of Europe to the shores of Samoa, where they lived and joined the native islanders’ fight for independence from imperialist powers. Amid the currents of their stormy yet deeply loving relationship, Fanny wrote colorful accounts of her life, contributed to Louis’s work and kept him alive to pen classic novels such as
Treasure Island
,
Kidnapped
, and
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
that would go on to resonate with generations of readers.
A portrait of two extraordinary people and a testament to the power of love to foster the human spirit,
unfolds with all the richness and complexity of a timeless epic, capturing the resilience, courage, and devotion that sparked some of our most celebrated and enduring literary masterpieces.