The Housekeeper

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

‘Exquisitely drawn, poignant and devastating’ STACEY HALLS

‘An absolute masterclass’ CLAIRE LYNCH

'She lifted me high, high up into another world, and then let me fall . . . Daphne du Maurier stole my life.'

A dramatic story of forbidden love, from enduring bestseller Rose Tremain

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.

What unforeseen encounters, what forbidden feelings can inspire a writer? With flair and panache, Rose Tremain has invented the story of how a great novel of the past came into being and in turn creates a masterwork of her own.