Book Review: Under the Wide and Starry Sky

Historical fiction novel by Nancy Horan, published 2014

Under the wide and starry sky, Dig the grave and let me lie. Glad did I live and gladly die, And I laid me down with a will. This be the verse you grave for me: Here he lies where he longed to be; Home is the sailor, home from sea, And the hunter home from the hill.

~Robert Louis Stevenson

Going in Blind

I must confess that when I started this book, I literally had no idea what it was about. A trusted friend gave it to me to borrow because she knew I'd enjoy it- she was right. Historical fiction is one of my top genres, and the sub-genre of these stories about actual historical figures is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. It took me a few chapters to figure out that this was about Robert Louis Stevenson (RLS) and his American wife, Fanny, but as soon as I made that realization I became more interested. RLS and Fanny had a tumultuous relationship that was marked both by deep love and extreme illness. He lived a very sickly life with poor lungs and she had extreme bouts of severe depression. In an around the world chase for an air quality that would help RLS's lungs, the two embarked on absolutely amazing adventures that I can hardly fathom experiencing. Real excerpts from letters written by RLS and Fanny help propagate the story forward and by the end, I was rooting for them to succeed in their quest to finish out the remainder of their lives together in Samoa.

4 out of 5 Stars

This book was entertaining, well-written and opened my eyes to the unique genius that was RLS. There are a few portions in which the story seems to slow down a little bit, but ultimately I'd highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good historical fiction book.