Robert Louis Stevenson, long recognized as a master storyteller and essayist, was also a prolific letter writer. His letters, some 2800 pieces of correspondence, have been published in eight volumes. Volume VII covers the period from September 1890 to January 1893.

Robert Louis Stevenson's exile in Samoa caught the imagination of his contemporaries a century ago and has fascinated his admirers ever since. The penultimate volume of this eight-book edition of his collected correspondence covers the period from September 1890, when Stevenson set up home in Samoa, to December 1892. In splendid, lively letters Stevenson describes the early pioneering days during the establishment of the Vailima plantation and the construction of the house. Stevenson lived as the patriarchal head of the family, which consisted of his wife Fanny, his mother, Fanny's two children, Lloyd and Belle, together with the Samoan house servants and estate workers. In the tropical climate his health improved, and he was able to enjoy the outdoor life he loved - riding on horseback, travelling at sea or working on his estate. Stevenson took a passionate interest in all aspects of Samoan culture, championing and defending native interests against the misdeeds and incompetence of the white officials appointed by Britain, Germany and the United States. We are given a vivid account of life in this small colonial outpost with its politics and intrigues. It was not without reason that Stevenson was given the Samoan title of Tusitala (Writer of Tales). Taking precedence over all his other activities was his punishing writing schedule. The South Seas provided the background for some of his finest work including the short story 'The Beach of Falesa' and the novel The Wrecker, written in collaboration with his stepson. He also wrote Catriona, the sequel to Kidnapped, during this period. His letters enable us to follow the composition of these and other books, and his rich flow of ideas forother stories.