author
Fanny Van de Grift Stevenson
1840–1914
An American writer, artist, and traveler, she is often remembered alongside Robert Louis Stevenson but had a vivid life and voice of her own. Her story stretches from Indiana to Europe and the South Pacific, shaped by independence, adventure, and literary work.
2 Audiobooks
The Dynamiter
by Robert Louis Stevenson, Fanny Van de Grift Stevenson
The Cruise of the "Janet Nichol" Among the South Sea Islands: A Diary
by Fanny Van de Grift Stevenson
About the author
Born in Indianapolis in 1840, Fanny Van de Grift Stevenson was an American magazine writer and artist. She studied art, traveled widely, and built an unusually adventurous life for her era, including a move to Europe with her children after the collapse of her first marriage.
In France she met Robert Louis Stevenson, and the two later married after a long and difficult courtship. She became an important presence in his life, supporting him through illness and sharing in the years of travel that took the family to places including California, the South Seas, and Samoa.
Although she is often introduced as Stevenson's wife, Fanny also wrote in her own right. Her life has drawn lasting interest because it combined literary work, resilience, and a determination to live on her own terms.