Take a photo of a barcode or cover
kostpaul 's review for:
Under the Wide and Starry Sky
by Nancy Horan
The historical fiction sub-genre featuring characters who actually lived has become a favorite of mine (e.g. The Paris Wife, The Aviator's Wife, Loving Frank, Z, etc...) This fictionalized account of the relationship of Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson and his spunky, older American wife Fanny is my favorite so far. Beautifully written and meticulously researched, this novel met all of my criteria for good historical fiction:
1) Atmospheric - Time, place, and emotion are wonderfully recreated. As the Stevensons journey to Paris, Scotland, the American West, Hawaii, and Samoa, readers are offered a glimpse of everyday life in each locale in the late 1800's.
2)The Wikipedia Test - I feel that good historic fiction should leave a reader wanting to know more about the people, places, and events they read about. I looked up a good deal as I read, and I found a factual basis for events and facts I thought were too spectacular to be believed! RLS and Fanny were both prolific writers, so Horan had a wealth of information on which to draw for her research.
3)Believable characters - Likable, but not perfect, characters are neither too good or too bad to be believable. Horan has captured the complexity of this fascinating family and its strengths and weaknesses.
I highly recommend Under the Wide and Starry Sky for fans of historical fiction and English literature.
1) Atmospheric - Time, place, and emotion are wonderfully recreated. As the Stevensons journey to Paris, Scotland, the American West, Hawaii, and Samoa, readers are offered a glimpse of everyday life in each locale in the late 1800's.
2)The Wikipedia Test - I feel that good historic fiction should leave a reader wanting to know more about the people, places, and events they read about. I looked up a good deal as I read, and I found a factual basis for events and facts I thought were too spectacular to be believed! RLS and Fanny were both prolific writers, so Horan had a wealth of information on which to draw for her research.
3)Believable characters - Likable, but not perfect, characters are neither too good or too bad to be believable. Horan has captured the complexity of this fascinating family and its strengths and weaknesses.
I highly recommend Under the Wide and Starry Sky for fans of historical fiction and English literature.