Under the Wide and Starry Sky

Narrator Kristen Potter takes the tone of an objective observer as Horan uses fiction interwoven with history to examine the relationship between a celebrity and the extraordinary, but almost forgotten, woman who won his heart. The relationship between Scotsman Robert Louis Stevenson and American Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne--from their meeting in 1875 through almost three decades of love, illness, travel, and adventure--is the focus of this novel. As the author shines a light on this May-December relationship in which Fanny, 11 years Stevenson's senior, serves as nurse, confidante, wife, and caretaker of his legacy, Potter provides a straightforward presentation that fits the prose. Overall, her delivery is smooth, although her attempts at a Scots accent are inconsistent. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

November 25, 2013
Horanâs second novel (following Loving Frank) again mines the true story of a remarkable woman of history to impressive effect. This time, instead of Mameh Cheney and Frank Lloyd Wright, the central couple is Fanny Osbourne and Robert Louis Stevenson. The novel charts their relationship from their first meeting in France, where Fanny takes her two daughters after leaving her irresponsible, cheating husband, Sam, and the death of her son, Hervey. At first, itâs Louisâs cousin Bob who teases Fanny out of her grief, but ultimately Louis, 10 years younger than Fanny, is the one who wins her heart. The novel goes on to describe Fannyâs return to America (she is later followed by Louis) and her divorce from Sam, marriage to Louis, and their years spent in the South Pacific traveling from one island to another. Her own writing talent is submerged in the wake of Louisâs growing fame, and her influence over him creates envy among his circle of friends in Britain. This beautifully written novel, neatly balanced between its two protagonists, makes them come alive with grace, humor, and understanding. Horanâs empathy for both Louis and Fanny allows her to capture their life together with all the complexity and nuance of a real-life relationship. Agent: Lisa Bankoff, ICM.