Author Description

In The Frost Family's Adventure in Poetry Lesley Lee Francis, granddaughter of Robert Frost, brings to life the Frost family's idyllic early years. Through their own words, we enter the daily lives of Robert, known as RF to his family and friends, his wife, Elinor, and their four children, Lesley, Carol, Irma, and Marjorie. The result is a captivating portrait of a close-knit literary family struggling to overcome hardship - a beautifully written evocation of the "sheer morning gladness" of a fleeting chapter in the life of a literary family. Taught at home by their father and mother, the Frost children received a remarkable education. Reared on poetry, nurtured on the world of the imagination, and instructed in the art of direct observation, the children created an exceptional body of creative work in the years between 1905 and 1915. Drawing upon previously unexamined journals, notebooks, letters, and the little magazine entitled The Bouquet produced by the Frost children and their friends, Francis shows how the creative genius of RF was constantly enriched by his interactions with his children. Contesting the official biography's portrayal of Frost as a man whose literary ambitions led him to selfishly disregard his family, Francis depicts her grandfather as a generous, devoted, and playful man with a striking ability to communicate with his children and grandchildren. She traces the family's adventures from their years on the Derry Farm in New Hampshire through their nearly three years in England, bringing RF to the brink of public recognition as a poet. This enchanting evocation of the Frost family's life together makes more poignant the unforeseen personal tragedies that would befall its members in later years. The Frost Family's Adventure in Poetry captures the magic of those halcyon years and enhances our understanding of this crucial phase in Frost's development as a poet. Meticulously researched, and illustrated with the Frost children's charming artwork and with pages from their journals, this delightful book will enrich our comprehension of Robert Frost as a father and a grandfather, and as one of America's most beloved poets.