In this sequel to the highland adventure Kidnapped, young David Balfour must defend himself and his friend, Alan Breck Stewart, against false murder charges, becoming further entangled in a political conspiracy between feuding Scottish clans. His new adventure will include shipwreck, murder, intrigue, and a Scottish lass named Catriona, with whom he falls in love at first sight. Stevenson considered this novel to be his best work.

Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson (1850-1894), Scottish author, attended the University of Edinburgh and studied engineering and law before he began writing. In Barbizon he met Fanny Osbourne whom he followed to America and married in 1880. When they returned to Europe, he continued writing, while at the same time he began a long battle with tuberculosis. In 1888, he settled with his family in Samoa, where he remained for the final five years of his life.