Daphne: A Daughter’s Memoir

In this memoir the author paints a portrait of her mother, Daphne du Maurier. She presents an account of an unusual and often lonely childhood spent in London and in Cornwall at her mother’s beloved house, Menabilly. Family friends included Gertrude Lawrence and Noel Coward, and Nelson and Ellen Doubleday. However at the centre of this story is Daphne du Maurier herself. This book reveals a writer who had a deep attachment to Cornwall, where she put down her roots and found inspiration for her novels, and who spent much of her life as a recluse, withdrawn not only from the outside world but also from members of her own family. A picture emerges of a woman who lived in a world of her own creation that was beyond the comprehension of those around her. In this memoir the author paints a portrait of her mother, Daphne du Maurier. She presents an account of an unusual and often lonely childhood spent in London and Cornwall, where family friends and guests included Gertrude Lawrence and Noel Coward.