Lady Dona St. Columb leads a life in London with which she has grown tired. After doing something that even she finds reprehensible, she takes her children and flees to her husband’s country estate, Navron, trying her best to get away from him, his friends, and her own scandalous reputation. While walking at Navron, she discovers someone who helps her to completely reevaluate herself, her life, and learn to be a woman that she likes rather than a woman she despises.
My expectations for this book were about medium. I loved Rebecca and really did not care for The House on the Strand. I really enjoyed this book, though. I tend to always appreciate books about self-discovery, and Dona does a great deal of discovering. She has a lot of hard looks at her life and what she’s doing with it and she figures she wants something else. That something else is actually a lot more scandalous than her current life, but she definitely grows as a person, especially regarding the decisions she makes towards the end.
Du Maurier seems to have a thing for characters without real names. The Frenchman has a name, Jean-Benoit, but almost never goes by it. He exists as an entity, onto which we can place our expectations of a pirate, a Frenchman, a romantic hero, and he can fulfill them. He’s got a personality, but it’s almost as though his lack of name and real characterization makes him less distinct and almost legendary in his exploits. I think this is a really interesting device that du Maurier uses and it really adds something to Dona’s infatuation with him; most women have a thing for the mysterious and dangerous man.
I also just love the prose in this book. It’s sparse but beautiful at the same time. Let me give you an example that speaks for itself, the first few sentences:
When the east wind blows up Helford River the shining waters become troubled and disturbed and the little waves beat angrily upon the sandy shores. The short seas break above the bar at ebb-tide, and the waders fly inland to the mud-flats, their wings skimming the surface, and calling to one another as they go. Only the gulls remain, wheeling and crying above the foam, diving now and again in search of food, their grey feathers glistening with the salt spray.
– p. 1, Frenchman’s Creek.
For me, that evokes some gorgeous imagery and is a fantastic way to set up a book about a pirate and a lady, don’t you think? Du Maurier’s prose is very distinctive and when the story is good, it works extremely well. This is the case with Frenchman’s Creek. The story is intriguing and the book is an absolute pleasure to read. I had a lovely time with this, and I think you would too.
Buy Frenchman’s Creek on Amazon. It’s just been re-released by Sourcebooks and this is a gorgeous edition. If you’ve been interested in reading more by Daphne du Maurier, or you’re looking for a great, well-written piece of fiction, I recommend this book.
I just finished reading Rebecca last night and I know it is a book that I will want to re-read.
I would love to read more by du Maurier, and this one sounds like a great 2nd choice. Thank you for the review!
Molly’s last blog post..Winner!!
This sounds good – I’ll have to look for it!
Elizabeth’s last blog post..Spreading the Love
I have this one on my TBR list and am happy to hear that you like it. I’ve only read Rebecca and I loved that. That book and Hitchcock’s movie are both so wonderful. I can’t wait to get into this book.
Literate Housewife’s last blog post..It’s Arrived ~ Time to Change Your Links and Feeds
Oops! I submitted that under my old blog. Sorry about that!
Literate Housewife’s last blog post..Boneman’s Daughters Giveaway!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one. Great review.
Kathy’s last blog post..The School of Essential Ingredients winners!
I’m really glad you liked this and was excited to read your review, since I have this one to read soon too.
Jen – Devourer of Books’s last blog post..A Lucky Child – Book Review
I’m so glad to know you liked this one as I also have it in the good ole TBR.
Amy @ My Friend Amy’s last blog post..Review: Boneman’s Daughters by Ted Dekker
I have seen a number of good reviews for this book recently. I really want to read it!
Marg’s last blog post..The end has come!
Glad you enjoyed this one, I’ll have to give it a try! I have My Cousin Rachel on my shelf to read.
S. Krishna’s last blog post..Laura Rider’s Masterpiece – Jane Hamilton
I have never read anything by this author, though I have Rebecca and My Cousin Rachel on my shelves. I have been meaning to get around to them, and your post gave me a little push, so thank-you!
Zibilee’s last blog post..Bedlam South Giveaway!
I have read and re-read “Frenchman’s Creek” (as well as all Daphne’s other books)and I have watched the movie (1945 version) many times. This has to be my all time favorite. The movie (of the above date) follows the book quite closely, and I cannot see anyone but the characters involved playing the roles….. The current movie version was not only dark, but quite smutty! The book was romantic and pleasurable and not sleezy (and was played that way in the 1945 movie!
[…] Creek by Daphne du Maurier as featured on Meghan’s blog Medieval Bookworm is about a pirate and a lady. I loved Rebecca, and so I am always looking at reviews of du […]