Daphne du Maurier herself describes this as the only “romantic” novel she wrote. It does have a lighter story line perhaps than some of her other work but it is still a terrific swashbuckling story and does cover important themes such as the freedom and independence men had while women were constrained by responsibilities and how society felt they should behave. Dona St Columb is a feisty heroine who grabs some excitement and independence while she can, knowing only too well that this can only be shortlived.
September 2009 Guest Editor Emily Barr on Frenchman's Creek by DAPHNE DU MAURIER
Women escaping from their day to day lives is a theme to which I find myself returning again and again. This novel is the ultimate such story, a wildly exciting and utterly engrossing adventure. Since I moved to Cornwall I have been reading Du Maurier again, and concluding that she is not sufficiently appreciated as a fabulous, literary, exciting writer.
| Primary Genre | Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
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A tale of love and adventure from the internationally bestselling author of Rebecca.
'She wrote exciting plots . . . a writer of fearless originality' GUARDIAN
'One of the last century's most original literary talents' DAILY TELEGRAPH
'A pure, exhilarating adventure story - a swashbuckling tale of exquisite danger and tangled love' JULIE MYERSON
Lady Dona St Columb seems to revel in scandal: she is involved in every intrigue of the Restoration Court. But secretly, the shallowness of Court life disgusts her, and in her heart she longs for freedom and honest love. Retreating to Navron, her husband's Cornish estate, she seeks peace and solitude away from London. But Navron is being used as the base for a French pirate, an outlaw hunted all over Cornwall.
Instead of feeling fear, Dona's thirst for adventure has never been more aroused; in Jean-Benoit Aubéry she finds a sensitive man who would, like her, gamble his life for a moment's joy. Together they embark upon a quest rife with danger and glory, one which will force Dona to make the ultimate choice: will she sacrifice her lover to certain death, or risk her own life to save him?
Frenchman's Creek features in the following genres: Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Family Drama, Historical Fiction, eBooks of the Month, General Fiction, Fiction, Recommendations
Frenchman's Creek is available in Paperback, CD-Audio, Hardback, Paperback (b Format)
Frenchman's Creek was written by Daphne du Maurier and published by Virago an imprint of Little, Brown
Frenchman's Creek has 272 pages
Yes it is part of Virago Modern Classics series
£9.89