CD: Under the Wide and Starry Sky

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-DISPATCH From Nancy Horan, New York Times bestselling author of Loving Frank, comes her 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 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 . . . [Fanny Osbourne] kidnapped Robert Louis Stevenson's heart."--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 "Spectacular . . . an exhilarating epic about a free-spirited couple who traveled the world yet found home only in one another."--Booklist (starred review) "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 "Nancy Horan has done it again, capturing the entwined lives of Fanny Osbourne and Robert Louis Stevenson so uncannily, it reads like truth."--Sarah Blake, author of The Postmistress "Horan has a distinct knack for evoking the rich, complicated lives of long-gone artists and the women who inspired them."--Entertainment Weekly "Fanny and Louis are wild-hearted seekers, and Nancy Horan traces their incredible journey fearlessly, plunging us through decades, far-flung continents, and chilling brushes with death. Ambitious and often breathtaking, this sweeping story spills over with spirited, uncompromising life."--Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife From the Hardcover edition.

About the Author :
Nancy Horan is the author of Loving Frank. She is also a journalist whose work has appeared in numerous publications. She has two sons, and lives with her husband on an island in Puget Sound.

Review :
"A richly imagined [novel] of love, laughter, pain and sacrifice . . . [Fanny Osbourne] kidnapped Robert Louis Stevenson's heart."--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 "Spectacular . . . an exhilarating epic about a free-spirited couple who traveled the world yet found home only in one another."--Booklist (starred review) "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 "Operatic, global in its setting . . . [The years in the South Seas are] deliciously reminiscent of the adventure novels Stevenson wrote, and Horan's delightful reimagining is just as entertaining."--The Washington Post "Nancy Horan has done it again, capturing the entwined lives of Fanny Osbourne and Robert Louis Stevenson so uncannily, it reads like truth."--Sarah Blake, author of The Postmistress "Horan has a distinct knack for evoking the rich, complicated lives of long-gone artists and the women who inspired them."--Entertainment Weekly "Fanny and Louis are wild-hearted seekers, and Nancy Horan traces their incredible journey fearlessly, plunging us through decades, far-flung continents, and chilling brushes with death. Ambitious and often breathtaking, this sweeping story spills over with spirited, uncompromising life."--Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife "A delight from start to finish . . . as stirring as any of R. L. Stevenson's famous tales."--Hudson Valley News "A dazzling love story . . . Horan deftly brings to life a woman shamefully overlooked by history, and celebrates her contributions to the man whom history remembered."--BookPage "Horan's empathy for both Louis and Fanny allows her to capture their life together with all the complexity and nuance of a real-life relationship. . . . This beautifully written novel, neatly balanced between its two protagonists, makes them come alive with grace, humor, and understanding."--Publishers Weekly From the Hardcover edition. A richly imagined [novel] of love, laughter, pain and sacrifice . . . [Fanny Osbourne] kidnapped Robert Louis Stevenson s heart. "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" Spectacular . . . an exhilarating epic about a free-spirited couple who traveled the world yet found home only in one another. "Booklist" (starred review) 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" "" Operatic, global in its setting . . . [The years in the South Seas are] deliciously reminiscent of the adventure novels Stevenson wrote, and Horan s delightful reimagining is just as entertaining. "The Washington Post" Nancy Horan has done it again, capturing the entwined lives of Fanny Osbourne and Robert Louis Stevenson so uncannily, it reads like truth. Sarah Blake, author of "The Postmistress" Horan has a distinct knack for evoking the rich, complicated lives of long-gone artists and the women who inspired them. "Entertainment Weekly" "" Fanny and Louis are wild-hearted seekers, and Nancy Horan traces their incredible journey fearlessly, plunging us through decades, far-flung continents, and chilling brushes with death. Ambitious and often breathtaking, this sweeping story spills over with spirited, uncompromising life. Paula McLain, author of "The Paris Wife" A delight from start to finish . . . as stirring as any of R. L. Stevenson s famous tales. "Hudson Valley News" "" A dazzling love story . . . Horan deftly brings to life a woman shamefully overlooked by history, and celebrates her contributions to the man whom history remembered. "BookPage" Horan s empathy for both Louis and Fanny allows her to capture their life together with all the complexity and nuance of a real-life relationship. . . . This beautifully written novel, neatly balanced between its two protagonists, makes them come alive with grace, humor, and understanding. "Publishers Weekly" "From the Hardcover edition."" "Fascinating . . . a novel that shows how love and marriage can simultaneously offer inspiration and encumbrance."--"The New York Times Book Review" " " "A lot of fun . . . Horan drapes this skeleton of facts with a richly imagined musculature of love, laughter, pain and sacrifice. Unlike "Loving Frank, "which focused on Mamah Cheney, "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" " " "Horan's depiction of their life together is flawless. We are right there with the couple as they transform over the years."--"Fort Worth Star-Telegram" "Horan's prose is gorgeous. . . . Few writers are as masterful as she is at blending carefully researched history with the novelist's art."--"The Dallas Morning News" "A delight from start to finish . . . as stirring as any of R. L. Stevenson's famous tales."--"Hudson Valley News" "A dazzling love story that unspools across years and continents. Horan deftly brings to life a woman shamefully overlooked by history, and celebrates her contributions to the man whom history remembered."--"BookPage" "Fanny and Louis are wild-hearted seekers, and Nancy Horan traces their incredible journey fearlessly, plunging us through decades, far-flung continents, and chilling brushes with death. Ambitious and often breathtaking, this sweeping story spills over with spirited, uncompromising life."--Paula McLain, author of "The Paris Wife" "It's one thing to bring the past to life. It's quite another to bring it back rich in all its glorious complications. Nancy Horan has done it again, capturing the entwined lives of Fanny Osbourne and Robert Louis Stevenson so uncannily, it reads like truth--and better. I loved every minute I had it in my hands."--Sarah Blake, author "of The Postmistress" " " "Maybe it goes without saying that it's a hard thing to chase a book as successful ash Advance praise for "Under the Wide and Starry Sky" "Fanny and Louis are wild-hearted seekers, and Nancy Horan traces their incredible journey fearlessly, plunging us through decades, far-flung continents, and chilling brushes with death. Ambitious and often breathtaking, this sweeping story spills over with spirited, uncompromising life."--Paula McLain, author of "The Paris Wife" "It's one thing to bring the past to life. It's quite another to bring it back rich in all its glorious complications. Nancy Horan has done it again, capturing the entwined lives of Fanny Osbourne and Robert Louis Stevenson so uncannily, it reads like truth--and better. I loved every minute I had it in my hands."--Sarah Blake, author "of The Postmistress" " " "Maybe it goes without saying that it's a hard thing to chase a book as successful as "Loving Frank" with a second novel. For one thing, you worry it was an accident the first time around. The good news is that it wasn't (an accident), and Nancy Horan is back with another beautifully crafted story, and no signs of a sophomore slump."--Pete Dexter, author of "Paris Trout, "winner of the National Book Award " " "What an extraordinary story! Throughout the novel, I felt I was right there with Fanny and Louis, sharing their hopes and hardships as they traveled the world. The portrayal of their lives on Samoa was especially gripping. Nancy Horan has transformed everything I thought I knew about Robert Louis Stevenson, and in Fanny--his passionate, independent American wife--she has created a woman whose struggles continue to haunt me."--Lauren Belfer, author of "A Fierce Radiance" and "City of Light" " " "As she did so magically in "Loving Frank, "Nancy Horan brings to life a distant time and faraway places populated by characters at once familiar and delightfully new. By widening her lens to shine a light on the lives of those whom history usually ignores--the wives of famous men--Horan gives us a marv Praise for Nancy Horan's "Loving Frank" Named One of the Best Books of the Year by "The Washington Post, "the" Chicago Tribune, "the Minneapolis" Star Tribune, "and" The Christian Science Monitor" "Enthralling . . . Mamah Borthwick Cheney wasn't just any woman, but Horan makes her into an enigmatic Everywoman--a symbol of both the freedoms women yearn to have and of the consequences that may await when they try to take them.""--The New York Times Book Review" " " "A staggering read, a complex tale of the love affair between two eccentric, intelligent and unforgettable characters . . . Though it is very much a literary novel, sparks fly off the page.""--Rocky Mountain News" " " "In Mamah, Horan creates an unforgettably complex heroine.""--The Washington Post" " " "Reveals what we expect to get from great fiction: timeless truths about ourselves."--New York "Daily News" " " "A beautifully designed, innovative and noteworthy work of art.""--Chicago Tribune" " " "Compelling . . . a page-turning love story.""--The Plain Dealer" " " "Unexpectedly powerful.""--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"