'Charming...as her travels continue, from Florida, via the Galapagos Islands, to the remote and scattered atolls and archipelagos of the south - the Marquesas, Samoa, Kiribati, some 70 small islands over the nine-month trip - Stephenson's heart-on-sleeve prose becomes quite endearing. She plunges into everything she can, whether diving with sharks or having traditional tattoos, tracking down places mentioned by Fanny Stevenson and taking part in local ceremonies. Stephenson's enthusiasm and guilty-liberal concern for the fate of the communities she visits is very likeable (as is her pride in her adaptable and unruffled teenage daughter who is along for most of the trip), especially when so many travel books can be dreary whinges about the rigours of the journey... An engaging and interesting read' -- Scotland on Sunday 20051016 'In describing her South Seas voyage, inspired by that made by Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife, Fanny, Stephenson has produced an impressively well-researched travel account; displaying a good eye for detail and a fair amount of common sense... This book made me want to read the accounts of Fanny and Louis's journey for myself. The best biographies send you back to the source material; Stephenson has done just that' -- Sunday Herald 20051016 'She's a lovely writer, with a light touch with the language and prodigious descriptive powers, never failing to find beautiful new ways to describe sea and sky' -- Sunday Telegraph, Australia 20051120 'Her book speaks to all women of a certain age. An entertaining cocktail of travel writing, historical research and cultural observation, it is an inspiring odyssey' -- The Lady 20010101 '(a) rollicking tale of derring-do and deep-sea diving. Treasure Islands is a terrific read -- funny, thoughtful and searingly honest, a deft combination of riveting travel yarn and fascinating historical fact' -- Scotland on Sunday 20010101 'an often amusing, always fascinating tale of adventure' -- Daily Record 20010101 'Any women out there who feel stuck in a rut will be inspired by the former comedienne's voyage of discovery, sailing the South Seas, in the wake of Robert Louis Stevenson. It's a liberating read for adventure seekers' -- The Press Association 20010101 'Stephenson's heart-on-sleeve prose [is] endearing... the result is an engaging and interesting read' -- Scotland on Sunday 'Stephenson has a light touch with the pen and a good eye for her world!grippingly well-written, an unusual work that is both biography and travel book' -- Adelaide Advertiser
