This is a book that aims to fill in the background story of the character Rebecca de Winter from Daphne du Maurier’s book ‘Rebecca’. I was initially unsure if I wanted to read this book as I usually don’t like books that aim to change, add to, or alter an original classic novel. I was pleasantly surprised, however, as Rebecca’s Tale is a good gripping read, very well written, and very true to all the original characters. The book is narrated by four different characters and I found this really interesting as all had different views of Maxim de Winter, Mrs Danvers, and Rebecca, and each narrator also had their own secrets and motivations which we are privy to.

I see that Sally Beauman (the author) has an afterword in my copy of Rebecca so she obviously knows a great deal about the book, and her enthusiasm and passion for the original novel does shine through. It is also fascinating to ‘find out’ more about Rebecca as she doesn’t really have a voice in the original novel, she is more talked about, and Rebecca’s Tale seems to give her this voice. The book still leaves many questions unanswered though and maintains the essence of the mystery surrounding Rebecca.

Rebecca’s Tale is an interesting book and I enjoyed reading it. The overall feeling I was left with, however, was that I was desperate to re-read the original Rebecca!