I’ve recently had the pleasure of reading three books by a new-to-me author, D.E. Stevenson. I discovered her work through book blogging friends, and she’s quickly becoming a favorite. I read and wrote about Miss Buncle’s Book, then enjoyed Miss Buncle Married, and am almost finished with The Two Mrs. Abbotts. What a pleasure they all have been! (And a new book blogging friend just told me that there’s a 4th book in the series being published in June!)

In reading about D.E. Stevenson, I discovered that her father was a cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson, another author I really enjoy. What wonderful writing genes run in that family! During the winter months, I downloaded the audiobook of the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but hadn’t gotten around to listening to it yet. Realizing the Stevenson connection to all my recent reading, I decided to give it a listen.

Illustration by Charles Raymond Macauley

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a fascinating exploration of the duality of human nature. It is such a classic and so much a part of our cultural heritage, that I felt I knew all about it even though I had never read it. I did not. The storyline in one thing and makes for great horror films, but Stevenson’s writing is beautiful and the ideas so well presented, it deserves to be read. That’s the joy of reading something written by Robert Louis Stevenson — beautiful, intelligent writing and a compelling story!

So this month has really been my “Read Stevenson” month, although I didn’t plan it that way. I recommend them both: D.E. Stevenson and R.L. Stevenson!