Description
“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, A Wilder Shore 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.
About the Author
Camille Peri is an author and journalist who founded the groundbreaking website Mothers Who Think, part of the online publication Salon. She coedited the national bestseller Mothers Who Think: Tales of Real-Life Parenthood and Because I Said So: 33 Mothers Write About Children, Sex, Men, Aging, Faith, Race & Themselves, which received an American Book Award. She has written and edited for Vogue, Ladies’ Home Journal, Los Angeles Times Magazine, Mother Jones, WebMD, Reader’s Digest and the San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner Sunday magazine.
Praise for A Wilder Shore: The Romantic Odyssey of Fanny and Robert Louis Stevenson
Praise for A Wilder Shore:
“Engrossing . . . [Peri's] richly researched and vivid double portrait makes a convincing case that Fanny pulled off a rare feat, enabling Louis’s genius to mature while releasing his boyish energies . . . I am grateful to Peri for telling the story of their marriage, in all its complexity, with sympathy and spirit.” —Phyllis Rose, The Atlantic
“[A Wilder Shore] celebrates commitment and the enduring power of human imagination.” —Alta Journal
“An epic love story, rivaling that of the Fitzgeralds . . .The compelling narrative reads like a cross between Henry James and Louisa May Alcott, while Peri’s deep knowledge and extensive research are woven seamlessly into the texture of the story.” —Booklist
“Journalist Peri draws on considerable archival sources to create a perceptive portrait of the unlikely marriage of Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) and Fanny Osbourne (1840-1914) . . . A richly detailed chronicle of two eventful lives.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Peri offers a nuanced take on her subjects’ relationship . . .This detailed history gives Osbourne her overdue turn in the spotlight.” —Publishers Weekly
“Lavish with historical erudition yet wonderfully lucid, A Wilder Shore brings fresh insight into the life of Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife, Fanny, herself a brilliant writer who, in a more just world, would be a household name. Camille Peri writes with such authority and novelistic brio, you'd hardly believe this is her debut. A remarkable achievement!” —Abbott Kahler, author of Where You End
“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
“Camille Peri’s A Wilder Shore is a deeply researched portrait of boundary-breaking bohemians Fanny and Robert Louis Stevenson. With astute critical evaluation of the great Scottish writerandhis talented American wife’s works, the book takes us around the globe on their truth-is-stranger-than-fiction adventures. A page-turner!” —Holly George-Warren, author of Janis: Her Life and Music
