"There are some women, Philip, good women very possibly, who through no fault of their own impel disaster. Whatever they touch somehow turns to tragedy."
Orphaned at a young age, Philip Ashley is raised by his older cousin, Ambrose, who becomes both father and older brother, mentor and friend to him. Heir to Ambrose's estate in Cornwall, Philip doesn't expect anything to ever change between them. But then, while wintering alone in Florence, Ambrose meets a distant cousin. Rachel is young, beautiful and widowed. And Ambrose, a confirmed bachelor his entire life, unexpectedly decides to marry her. Back home in Cornwall, Philip is surprised. And a little jealous. Though he's never met her, he instinctively doesn't like her. And when Ambrose dies in Florence only a year later, Philip's mistrust of Rachel grows. Did she have something to do with Ambrose's death?
Then Rachel comes to Cornwall. And when Philip finally meets her face to face, everything changes. Because she's not what he expected; she's intelligent and perceptive and alluring and unlike any other woman he's ever known. And Philip finds himself enchanted by her. But is she what she seems to be? Can Philip really trust her, or is there more to Rachel and her past than she's telling? As the mystery of Rachel slowly unfolds, Philip begins to question her motives and her past and everything he thought he knew about her.
"... every day, haunted still by doubt, I ask myself a question which I cannot answer. Was Rachel innocent or guilty?"
I really liked this book. And I love the way Daphne du Maurier writes: her descriptions, her complicated characters, and the way she keeps her readers off-balance and guessing right up to the very end. In
My Cousin Rachel, Philip and Rachel are a study of contrasts: he's young and earnest and inexperienced, especially where women are concerned, while Rachel's past has made her older than her years and much more worldly and calculating. They view life from opposite ends of the spectrum. But Rachel can also be charming and kind and seems to care for Philip. He looks just like Ambrose, after all. But is it real, or all just an act to get at his money? Du Maurier drops hints and clues, throws in a few contradictions, and leaves Rachel a mystery. A beautifully complicated mystery. A week after finishing this book, I'm still thinking about it. And about young Philip Ashley. And, of course, about Rachel. I love books that linger like this one has. Even with its sad ending.
What was especially fun about reading this book was reading it with
Bettina. She's a fan of Daphne du Maurier, too. So be sure to check out her blog, and her
review of
My Cousin Rachel. It's a good one!
Happy Reading!
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