Paul de Zulueta - Last Night I Dreamt

Once in a generation, a book comes along that changes our cultural landscape. Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier, became an instant bestseller on both sides of the Atlantic when it was published in 1938. The book has never been out of print since. Ditto Jamaica Inn and Frenchman’s Creek. But what of the author herself? Was she as reclusive as people have claimed?

Born into a famous artistic dynasty, du Maurier moved to Cornwall with her husband and three children in 1943, having holidayed there as a child. She was determined to be an author at a time when women of her class were not expected to pursue a career. And now her grandson, Paul de Zulueta, has written an intimate family biography, drawing on archives and new interviews, as well as his own memories of his grandmother.

Last Night I Dreamt explores how Daphne’s turbulent personal life – spanning war, affairs, a marriage to a famous but damaged general, and unrequited love – inspired her writing. It also uncovers the influence of her forebears, in particular her domineering father Gerald, the most famous actor- manager of his generation.

The result is a moving portrait of one of the great British artistic families, written with unique insight and emotional candour.