Publisher's Weekly
In a memoir that appealingly unites text and photographs of her much-loved Cornwall, British author du Maurier, who recently died at age 82, writes in the richly imaginative style that has distinguished her novels: Frenchmen's Creek , Rebecca , Jamaica Inn et al. Heightening du Maurier's impressions of place, Wright's crisp color plates show the sites that inspired the writer to create romance, mystery and terror. Also provided are maps to the wild woods, decayed buildings and great houses traversed here. We learn many tidbits--for example, that Menabilly, the Cornwall home in which the writer lived with her husband and children, was the model for Manderley in My Cousin Rachel . The book is a treasure for du Maurier fans.

Library Journal
More than just a memoir, this is a history of du Maurier's love affair with Cornwall. In this last work, completed just before her death in April 1989, she interrupts a sketchy outline of her life with passages from such works a Frenchman's Creek, Jamaica Inn, and Rebecca to show the influence of the rugged mythical landscape on her imagination and storytelling. In addition, appropriate pictures of the countryside, harbors, and buildings are included to further convey the mystical quality of the area. The effect is less than successful, however. The text shifts abruptly from exposition to the excerpted passages, leaving the reader confused. While it is interesting to know the source of du Maurier's inspiration, the book leans too heavily on these selections.--Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo