by Nancy Horan
First published 2016
At thirty-five, Fanny Osbourne packs up her three children and abandons her unfaithful husband in San Francisco. The dawn of the twentieth century offers little sympathy for women who defy social expectations, but Fanny refuses to accept the narrow role society demands. She sails for Europe, determined to rebuild her life on her own terms. Tragedy strikes shortly after her arrival, forcing her to seek shelter within a community of artists in France. There she encounters Robert Louis Stevenson, ten years her junior and not yet the famous author of Treasure Island. Their connection ignites immediately into something fierce and consuming. Age differences and social conventions mean nothing to them as they plunge into a relationship that defies every rule. Their love becomes a lifelong adventure that weathers every storm and obstacle thrown in their path.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, 20th-century, adult-fiction, biographical-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: age-gap-romance, forbidden-love, second-chance
Setting: Europe, France, San Francisco
Period: 20th Century
523 pages · Paperback · Terra Nova