Frenchman’s Creek is an adventure story. Set in the 17th century, the story revolves around Dona St. Columb, a aristocratic woman who rebels against society’s constraints. She escapes to the family’s long-abandoned estate in Cornwall, where a band of pirates have beset her neighbors. Soon Dona falls in with the pirates’ leader, the elusive Frenchman of the title. Their romance is facilitated by one of Dona’s servants, William.
Frenchman’s Creek is perhaps the fifth or sixth Daphne Du Maurier novel I’ve read. It’s not her best, but it’s pretty good nonetheless. This novel works well as an adventure story and historical fiction, but some parts of the plot were hard for me to believe. For example, I found it hard to believe that Dona’s husband, Harry, could have been as clueless about his wife’s activities, even when they were going on right under his nose. I also found it hard to understand why the neighbors didn’t notice anything amiss, either! I also felt that it was hard to get a real take on the Frenchman’s character. The romance was a bit stilted too. You sort of have to suspend your sense of disbelief while reading this book. In the end, though, this was an intriguing, fast-paged story about a woman forced to make choices.
Also reviewed by: Ex Libris, Once Upon a Bookshelf, Medieval Bookworm, Kay's Bookshelf, The Literate Housewife Review, Peeking Between the Pages, The Tome Traveller's Weblog, Devourer of Books, Passages to the Past
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