David Balfour

Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson (13 November 1850 - 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist, and travel writer. His most famous works are Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. A literary celebrity during his lifetime, Stevenson now ranks among the 26 most translated authors in the world. His works have been admired by many other writers, including Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling, Marcel Schwob, Vladimir Nabokov, J. M. Barrie, and G. K. Chesterton. This novel by Stevenson is also known as "David Balfour," and is the sequel to the previous "Kidnapped." The novel is in two parts. In the first part, David attempts to gain justice for James Stewart (James of the Glens) who has been arrested and charged with complicity in the Appin Murder. David presents his case to a lawyer and then goes on to meet the Lord Advocate to pursue the case of James' innocence. His attempts at convincing the Lord are ineffectual and he is once again kidnapped and confined to Bass Rock, an island in the Firth of Forth. During that time, James is convicted and condemned to death. While in prison, David meets and falls in love with Catriona MacGregor Drummond, the daughter of James MacGregor Drummond, also known as James More. Catriona plans and engineers their escape from prison. The two later travel to Holland where David studies for his law degree at the University of Leyden. Catriona stays under David's protection since she has no money of her own until her father joins them. It turns out that her father is a drunkard and lives off of David's money. At about the same time, David discovers that his uncle, Ebenezer, has died. This means that David now comes into his full inheritance. There's lots more confusion left, but the pair make it through and eventually get married and return to Scotland to raise their family. Includes vintage illustration!