I love biographical historical fiction, especially when I feel the author has tried to stay as close to truth and reality as possible. I feel Nancy Horan, the author, did this through an incredible amount of research into the lives of Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne and Robert Louis Stevenson. Fanny and Robert each were quirky, artistic, moody, adventurous people so this account of their relationship is magnified at least times two. Of course, along with those qualities comes some "medicinal drug use," complicated relationships, and mental breakdowns. As individuals and as a couple, they thought out of the box. defied societal norms, and embarked on amazing adventures without the security of things such as a stable income. I was mesmerized by the last part of the book when Fanny and Robert decided to sail the South Seas and move their extended family to Samoa, not knowing anything or anyone in the region. Remember, this all took place in the late 1800s!

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After reading this and Loving Frank, i've become a Nancy Horan fan. She thoroughly does her research, then proceeds to make her characters exceedingly human. Famous people are multi-faceted and not so one dimensional as they are often portrayed. The women in her books are as strong (and flawed) as the men they loved. Sometimes I felt both books got a little bogged down in the details, but certainly not enough to deter me from reading every word. An interesting, informative, and enjoyable book.

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