The Housekeeper

‘Daphne du Maurier stole my life’

Bestselling author Rose Tremain invents the story of how a great novel of the past came into being and in turn creates a masterwork of her own . . .

‘An absolute masterclass’ CLAIRE LYNCH

Mrs Danowski – known as Danni – is the housekeeper of a grand mansion on the wild coast of Cornwall. When glamorous young writer Daphne du Maurier visits Manderville Hall to research her new novel, she and Danni are drawn into a clandestine and intoxicating affair.

For Danni, it is an all-consuming love; for Daphne a submission to long-suppressed desires. But their fragile secret is vulnerable to prying eyes and destined for heartbreak. When Daphne’s novel launches to triumphant success, Danni is distraught to find herself transformed into a malign and jealous character on the page. She seeks respite from the hurt by telling her own story: The Housekeeper.

‘A sweeping, atmospheric story of forbidden love, power and privilege’ ERIN KELLY

‘Exquisitely drawn, poignant and devastating’ STACEY HALLS

'Tremain… conjures a world so sensory and atmospheric it completely ensnares the reader – The Times

'A master storyteller' – Financial Times