Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier

(Paperback, 448 pages, first published in 1940)

The multi‑million‑copy bestseller that has enthralled generations of readers. A haunting tale of obsessive love. A mesmerizing psychological thriller.

In Monte Carlo, our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady’s maid, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at Manderley, her husband’s cavernous estate on the Cornish coast, that she realizes how vast a shadow his late wife, Rebecca, will cast over their lives—introducing a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their love from beyond the grave.

This universally acclaimed novel has remained consistently in print since its original publication in 1938 and has frequently been adapted—for television, radio, the theater, and film—most notably in 1940 by Alfred Hitchcock, whose Rebecca received the Academy Award for Best Picture, and in the 2020 Netflix film starring Lily James and Armie Hammer.

Storyglory Cautions: Themes of jealousy, obsession, and psychological manipulation run throughout this gothic classic. The story includes emotional abuse, references to suicide, and the revelation that a central character committed murder, though not described graphically. Mature themes of strained marriage, moral ambiguity, and implied promiscuity may feel too intense for younger readers. This book also includes several instances of the Lord's name in vain, one use of "d---", and a few uses of "hell."

Recommended Age: 15+