Tatiana de Rosnay’s extraordinary research and her own background did justice to the unique spirit of Daphne du Maurier in this book. De Rosnay relates du Maurier’s adventures—her many travels, her network of friends and family, her fascination with Cornwall—without losing sight of the drive to write that constantly spurred her on. Motivated at first by a desire to become independent from her overbearing forebears, especially an egotistical and temperamental actor-father, young Daphne is soon overtaken by the need to write and soon develops a life shaped by writing routines and the “pegs” on which to hang her stories. That need to weave together history and place and dark human impulses pushed her toward new forms and stories not always fully appreciated by critics and the reading public. It is fascinating that filmmakers seemed best able to grasp the potential of her ideas, from ‘Jamaica Inn’ to ‘The Birds’ to ‘Don’t Look Now.’ De Rosnay has done a masterful job at recreating a creative life and spirit, and separating it from the privilege that shaped du Maurier’s life.