The Bridges of Madison County. by Waller, Robert James - 1992

New York: Warner Books, 1992. First edition, later printing of the author's best-selling romance novella, the basis for the 1995 film of the same name starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. Octavo, original half cloth, pictorial title page, illustrated with photographs by the author. Signed by Robert James Waller on the half-title page. Near fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Louise Fill. Without expecting to, Robert James Waller conceived of The Bridges of Madison County in the early 1990s. On leave from his teaching job at the University of Northern Iowa, Waller was photographing the Mississippi River with a friend when he decided to photograph the covered bridges of Madison County, Iowa. This event, alongside a song Waller wrote years earlier about "the dreams of a woman named Francesca", gave him the idea for the novella, which he completed in eleven days. The book debuted on the New York Times bestseller list in August 1992 and slowly climbed to number 1, and remained on the list for over three years (164 consecutive weeks), through October 8, 1995. It was made into a 1995 film of the same name, produced and directed by Clint Eastwood, who also starred in it with Meryl Streep. The film earned $182 million worldwide and was well-received by critics. Streep was nominated in 1996 for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.