Daphne Du Maurier, also known as ‘Lady Browning’, was a British writer and playwright born on 13th May 1907 in London. She belonged to a creative family where her father and mother both were actors, her uncle was a magazine editor and her grandfather was a writer. This became the base for her literary talent as she started writing when she was very young. As a child, she knew how to stay in the limelight having met many celebrities because of her parents’ career. At first, she was not considered as intellectual as other famous authors such as George Elliot and Iris Murdoch and her work was seen as somewhat ‘old aged’. My Cousin Rachel was first published in 1951. The first film adaptation, Henry Koster's My Cousin Rachel starring Richard Burton and Olivia de Havilland, was released in 1952. My Cousin Rachel is a quasi-Gothic novel about Philip Ashley, a young man who becomes obsessed with his cousin's widow. With new information about her past constantly surfacing, Philip often wonders whether Rachel, the object of his affection, is as warm and personable as she seems, but it's a question he never settles to his satisfaction. As the story begins, Philip bids farewell to his middle-aged cousin Ambrose, who always winters abroad for health reasons. Philip, an orphan, has lived with his cousin since he was just eighteen months old, so Ambrose is more than just a cousin to him, he's like a father. Listen online to free English audiobook "My Cousin Rachel” on our website to experience Daphne du Maurier's work.
