Finding Treasure Island

• Written by Robin Scott-Elliott

• Published by Cranachan Books

I have been reading forever, and I read a lot. I can get through a book a day if I have the time.

But I will hold my hands up and say I have never read Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, so when Anne from Cranachan books asked if I was interested in being part of the blog tour I realised research was needed.

I got a copy of Treasure Island from the library and I read it and enjoyed it. I then researched Robert Louis Stevenson and then researched Sam Osborne.

By the time I had done all this my copy of the book had arrived.

I couldn’t wait to meet some new people.

Finding Treasure Island is the missing memoir of Sam Osbourne, which reveals his part in the birth of the greatest adventure story written. It begins on a summer holiday when Robert Louis Stevenson sketches a map for his stepson and ends with their lives changed forever. As Stevenson writes Sam follows a treasure hunt of his own through the hidden glens and forests of the Cairngorms by the mystical Jen Hawkins.

Oh how I adored this book. 

The story is how Robert Louis Stevenson (RLS) wrote this story for his bored stepson.

The family are staying in the town of Braemar near the Queen’s Balmoral Estate and everyone is excited because the Queen is in residence.

In the course of this visit, Sam’s stepfather RLS  becomes inspired to write a pirate adventure later to be known as Treasure Island.The idea for this inspiration?  Sam’s boredom and Sam’s meeting with a local girl who works at the inn, Jen Hawkins. Jen insists on there being buried treasure nearby,

The story deals with RLS ‘poor health, and how the family looked after him.

My favourite scene is when RLS settles down with the whole family and reads to them the first couple of chapters.

But my favourite parts are when it’s only Sam and RLS.

Although it’s a story about how Treasure Island was written I saw this more as a love story.

A love story between a man and his son. As you read on, the relationship changes between Sam and RLS. First they are step father and step son but as the story goes on this relationship becomes one of father and son. You can see how much they actually loved each other. While researching these people everything I read said how much they adored each other and it was fantastic that this was shown in the book.

I loved the chapter when Sam received his own copy of the book while he was back at boarding school and his reaction to the dedication  to himself in the book.

When the story finishes there is an afterword in which the author deals with the death of RLS at the age of 44.

It also tells us a little of Sam’s life after that and how he went on to become an author himself.

At the very end of the book there are some family photos which are lovely as you get to put a face to a name, also included is a photo of RLS dedication to Sam.

This has to be one of my favourite books of 2023 and I look forward to seeing what the author does next.

• Be sure to check out the rest of the blog tour via information on the banner below.