NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • TODAY SHOW BOOK CLUB PICK • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST AND ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCHFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Loving Frank comes a much-anticipated second novel, which tells the improbable love story of Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson and his tempestuous American wife, Fanny. At the age of thirty-five, Fanny … his tempestuous American wife, Fanny.
At the age of thirty-five, Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne has left her philandering husband in San Francisco to set sail for Belgium—with her three children and nanny in tow—to study art. It is a chance for this adventurous woman to start over, to make a better life for all of them, and to pursue her own desires. Not long after her arrival, however, tragedy strikes, and Fanny and her children repair to a quiet artists’ colony in France where she can recuperate. Emerging from a deep sorrow, she meets a lively Scot, Robert Louis Stevenson, ten years her junior, who falls instantly in love with the earthy, independent, and opinionated “belle Americaine.”
Fanny does not immediately take to the slender young lawyer who longs to devote his life to writing—and who would eventually pen such classics as Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In time, though, she succumbs to Stevenson’s charms, and the two begin a fierce love affair—marked by intense joy and harrowing darkness—that spans the decades and the globe. The shared life of these two strong-willed individuals unfolds into an adventure as impassioned and unpredictable as any of Stevenson’s own unforgettable tales.
Praise for Under the Wide and Starry Sky
“A richly imagined [novel] of love, laughter, pain and sacrifice . . . Under the Wide and Starry Sky is a dual portrait, with Louis and Fanny sharing the limelight in the best spirit of teamwork—a romantic partnership.”—USA Today
“Powerful . . . flawless . . . a perfect example of what a man and a woman will do for love, and what they can accomplish when it’s meant to be.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“Horan’s prose is gorgeous enough to keep a reader transfixed, even if the story itself weren’t so compelling. I kept re-reading passages just to savor the exquisite wordplay. . . . Few writers are as masterful as she is at blending carefully researched history with the novelist’s art.”—The Dallas Morning News
“A classic artistic bildungsroman and a retort to the genre, a novel that shows how love and marriage can simultaneously offer inspiration and encumbrance.”—The New York Times Book Review
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Very disappointed as I had so enjoyed “Loving Frank.” This book was just all over the place. I just had the feeling I was reading a soap opera. I felt like I really didn’t like any of the characters in the end but the book was all about explaining them??? I was hoping to do this for my Reading Group but have decided against it.
interesting but not realistic for that time peroid
Enjoyed this biography of Robert Louis Stevenson. Had not realized the health hardships that he experienced through out his life and how his wife was an outstanding care giver and devoted to her husband.
A new favorite! Delicious prose, illuminating biographical narrative, enchanting travelogue of far-flung places, all in one. I gauge that a book is extraordinary when it brings me to tears, as did this one. It has drawn me into its pages, made me a full participant in its story. I came to love Robert Louis Stevenson and broke down upon his …
The first book I read by Nancy Horan was Loving Frank. This novel about Frank Lloyd Wright was told from the viewpoint of his mistress, then wife. Likewise, the life of Robert Lewis Stevenson is revealed through his wife, Fanny, in Under the Wide and Starry Sky. However, Fanny’s life is equally interesting before she meets the author of Treasure …
I LOVED this book! RLS is such an important figure in our lives but his wife Fanny was such a treasure. She kept him alive for the wold to have more of him. Their life together was fascinating and adventurous. I hated for the book to end. I am sure I will reread this sometime in the future.
Really liked it!
A story in novel form of the relationship between Robert Louis Stevenson and Fanny Osborne. Horan explores the complexities of the relationship and tells an entertaining story that rings true. Although not a literary analysis, the novel sheds some light on Stevenson’s work.
This is a fictionalized version of the love story between Scottish author, Robert Louis Stevenson, and his American wife. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Gave me a sense of who Robert Louis Stevenson really was.
An interesting back story based on some fact. Easy reading
Historic account of Robert Louis Stephenson’s wife and amazing travels to Europe and Pacific adventures.
I would def. recommend this book.
Horan seems to specialize in examining the great loves of great men giving readers in-fepth views of another side of the men themselves. While not as riveting as Loving Frank, Under the Wide and Starry Sky gains momentum as Robert Louis Stevenson’s lover/then wife is meticulously examined from the perspecctives of her ex-husband, children, …
At first, it is a good story, and all about Fanny’s brave move to Europe unchaperoned, with 3 children. It is at times poignant and moving, but it drags after about 400 pages. I felt it was too long, and never finished it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and was sad for it to end. Compelling reading. Amazing that this couple was so courageous and adventurous in a time when travel was difficult and divorce was scandalous. Louis and Fanny had a special devotion to each other that exemplified their love for one another. Beautiful story!
Had to re-read “Loving Frank”, …
I couldn’t get anything else done while I was reading this book! I knew very little about the life of Robert Lewis Stephenson, even less about his American wife Fanny. This novel brings them both to life: a wild, romantic, tempestuous, often cantankerous, always interesting life. Well worth the read.
This was a wonderful insight into this great man and his amazing wife, Fanny. She kept him alive for all of us to reap the rewards of his talents and was a wonderful read in itself. Beautifully written.
Vividly descriptive!
Realistic in-depth characters
Moving story
Fascinating story about Robert Louis Stevenson and Fanny. What a remarkable woman she was!
It read more like a biography than a novel. I learned lots about Stevenson and his wife I didn’t know.