Daphne

Justine Picardie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0747596344 ISBN 13: 9780747596349

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2009

It is 1957. As Daphne du Maurier wanders alone through her remote mansion on the Cornish coast, she is haunted by thoughts of her failing marriage and the legendary heroine of her most famous novel, "Rebecca", who now seems close at hand. Seeking distraction, she becomes fascinated by Branwell, the reprobate brother of the Bronte sisters, and begins a correspondence with the enigmatic scholar Alex Symington in which truth and fiction combine. Meanwhile, in present day London, a lonely young woman struggles with her thesis on du Maurier and the Brontes and finds herself retreating from her distant husband into a fifty-year-old literary mystery.

Review:

'A divine treat for lovers of literary mysteries' Kate Saunders, The Times 'Compulsively readable ... elegant and absorbing ... Daphne takes the reader on a journey of undiluted pleasure' Spectator 'An intelligent, absorbing mystery story, a real tour de force all bookworms will love' Daily Mail 'A beguiling and addictive novel that weaves different strands of the literary legacy of Daphne du Maurier and the Bronte family into a superb literary thriller ... it is constructed with a dazzling simplicity and draws you in uncontrollably ... this all adds up to a delicious piece of literary sleuthing ... a deeply involving and emotional story that beautifully conjures up the atmosphere of Daphne du Maurier's paranoia and her discomfort with family history ... This is a supremely enjoyable novel' Sunday Express

About the Author:

Justine Picardie is the author of If the Spirit Moves You, the novel Wish I May and most recently, My Mother's Wedding Dress. She is also the co-writer or editor of several other books. She was formerly the features editor of British Vogue and is now a columnist for Harper's Bazaar and the Sunday Telegraph Magazine. She lives in London with her husband and two sons.