In Pursuit of Happiness, or Mary Ann

The books of the English writer Daphne du Maurier (1907–1989) have become classics of 20th-century literature. A master of subtle psychological portrait and a virtuoso of intrigue, du Maurier knows how to keep the reader on edge like no one else. It is no coincidence that one of her admirers was the film director Alfred Hitchcock, who adapted her works into famous thrillers: "Rebecca", "The Birds", "Jamaica Inn"... The novel "In Pursuit of Happiness, or Mary Ann", published between the famous books "My Cousin Rachel" and "The Scapegoat", when the writer was at the height of her power, was recognized as one of the best books by Daphne du Maurier. Immersing into the atmosphere of 19th century England, the author recreates the image of her extravagant great-great-grandmother and tells the story of her truly remarkable life, full of ups and downs. Mary Ann had an incredible fate and an incredible character, combining calculation and recklessness, trustfulness and cunning, sarcasm and good-naturedness, fearlessness and debauchery... She managed to escape from the squalid London slums, becoming a famous courtesan and the mistress of the Duke of York, brother of King George III, reach heights of power, and then, embroiled in a loud corruption scandal and political intrigues, she risked her future and her life…