Frenchman's Creek

No writer evokes atmosphere better than Daphne Du Maurier. Whilst some of her other works are better known and possess more gravitas, Frenchman’s Creek, set largely around the Helford River, captures the essence of this beautiful corner of Britain perfectly. Add to that Du Maurier’s ability to transport us back to Restoration England without it feeling like a history lesson, so we can identify with the characters despite them living hundreds of years ago, and you get a great read. There is a small tinge of the supernatural in Frenchman’s Creek, and an interesting love story, but it is… show more.

Just like everyone else, my gateway into Daphne du Maurier was the novel Rebecca, but right after devouring that, I began consuming the rest of her work and decided I liked Frenchman’s Creek even better. In Frenchman’s Creek, we are presented with a heroine, Lady Dona, who, in a day and age when women were taught to sit still and be pretty, is strong, restless, and independent. She shakes off the bonds of society and begins an affair with a handsome pirate. Okay, so of course this story is not at all realistic—I’m fully cognizant of that—but… show more.

I grew up reading Daphne du Maurier’s books and loving them. Rebecca is, of course, her triumph but I started with Jamaica Inn and Frenchman’s Creek. Frenchman’s Creek has to be the perfect escape book. Who, after all, would not wish to be Dona St Columb and make such a courageous bolt for freedom onto the high seas, with a handsome pirate beside her and the wind whipping through her hair? It is much more than an improbable romance, of course, as du Maurier was expressing in this rollicking tale a need we all feel from time to time… show more.

This one might be a surprise on this list—the “other world” it is set in is the coast of Cornwall in the 17th century. The prologue is full of ghostly figures—then the story, in which a bored English noblewoman flees a life of carousing to find peace aboard a secretive pirate vessel, takes off. It sounds like it might be corny, but it isn’t. It’s deeply entertaining, beautifully written (can you tell I like beautifully written books?), and paints an extraordinary picture of a place and an era. But above all, it is about life choices—hard, hard choices. I… show more.

This book has undoubtedly influenced me as a writer. It takes place in Restoration Britain: King Charles 11 is on the throne. A high-born lady leaves her husband in London only to find a notorious pirate using their family creek in Cornwall to conceal his ship. People argue this isn’t Du Maurier’s best book (and I could have picked any of hers) but the thrill of reading it has stayed with me. Recently, I reread it and found it even more powerful. Approve of the heroine’s actions or not, I recommend you read it for the mastery of the writing… show more.