The Housekeeper

'Daphne du Maurier stole my life.'Mrs Danowski – known as Danni – is the housekeeper of a grand house on the wild coast of Cornwall.When a 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.