The "Vailima Letters" is Robert Louis Stevenson laid bare. It collects his correspondence with his friend and literary critic Sidney Colvin, from the years 1890-1894. This was when Stevenson was living in Samoa, still writing novels but becoming increasingly unwell. Stevenson writes about his creative processes and his various sicknesses. He also details Samoa's state of unrest-—due to both tribal civil war and the creeping influence of European colonisers. This insightful collection is a treasure trove for bookworms and history buffs alike.