Author Philis Rose wrote this piece about Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife Fanny and their powerful and inspiring marriage. Maria and I were both touched by it and saw something of us in what Rose wrote about them. We are not the same in some ways but similar in others.
We recognized ourselves.
She was writing about Camille Peri’s book, A Wilder Shore, The Romantic Odyssey of Fanny, And Robert Louise Stevenson.
“It is probably clear that I love this couple. I love both of them. I love their incongruity, the tiny round woman who came up to the bony man’s chest. His gift. Her gifts. Their devotion to each other. I admire the way they lived, genuine bohemians who seem to have cared only about staying alive and living intensely, always resourceful, unfussy, and open to new experiences. I like them so much that I hate reading of the times they disagreed, even fought, but that is what married people do.“
And now I must find Phyllis Rose’s writings, as well as Camille’s book. I can see why you and Maria saw yourselves in her words – devotion to each other, living intensely, resourceful, unfussy and open to new experiences. What a beautiful, intentional marriage.