Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne Du Maurier (Virago Modern Classics)

Frenchman’s Creek is a novel by Daphne Du Maurier, first published in 1941. The novel tells the story of a woman named Lady Dona St. Columb, who is disillusioned with her life in London and decides to spend the summer at her husband’s remote estate in Cornwall.

While there, she meets a French pirate named Jean-Benoit Aubéry, who has taken refuge in a nearby creek. Lady Dona is intrigued by Aubéry’s way of life and becomes increasingly drawn to him. She soon finds herself torn between her duty to her husband and children and her desire to be with Aubéry.

As Lady Dona’s feelings for Aubéry deepen, she becomes involved in his adventures and the two of them embark on a dangerous quest to plunder a wealthy English merchant ship. However, their actions put them at odds with the law and jeopardize their chances of being together.

The novel explores themes of love, freedom, and adventure, as well as the constraints of society and the consequences of breaking its rules. It is considered one of Du Maurier’s most romantic and swashbuckling novels, and has been adapted into several films and television series over the years.