Synopses & Reviews
Though she owned several houses, Agatha Christie had one surpassing favorite: Greenway, on the Dart estuary in Devon. She was born nearby, bought it in 1938, and spent all her summers there until her death in 1976. It was, she wrote, "the loveliest house in the world." Greenway makes a thinly disguised appearance in at least two of her novels, and nearby settings also play a crucial role in her books. This book explores and illustrates the significance of Devon in Christie's work, and of Greenway in particular â?? its magnificent gardens, its beautiful setting on the estuary, and her relationship with its servants and staff. Richly illustrated with rare archival images and evocative photographs of Greenway and the surrounding countryside, Agatha Christie at Home is a delightful look at the life and work of the world's best-selling novelist.
Review
"a fascinating glimpse into the person whose name became synonymous with English mystery stories...This oversize, soft-cover volume is illustrated with splendid color and black-and-white photographsâ??of the home, nearby environs, scenic landmarks and moreâ??as well as of Christie at different times in her life. Biographical data and visual images together make this book irresistible." â?? The Free Lance-Star
Review
"Now as an affordable, glossy paperback -- here is a popular subject treated in depth with generous amount of very interesting and beautiful photos. ..Macaskill is a dogged researcher as well as lively travel journalist. She presents a colorful panorama of real places and people related to some famous fictional ones. She reports gossip, but draws on reliable sources, including Christie's grandson, for facts. The resulting montage makes a towering celebrity seem modestly human and deeply humane by showing how she built her life around her family and community." â?? BookPleasures
Review
"Author, Hilary Macaskill skillfully links Agatha Christie's residential purchases with the creation of her mysteries; houses and gardens where she resided or holidayed became the settings for new books, residents of nearby villages appropriated for charactersâ?¿As much as being a record of the private life of Agatha Christie and her homes, Agatha Christie At Home is also a social history of England's middle bordering on upper class society in the period between the turn of the twentieth century until Dame Agatha Christie's death in 1976 â?? the details of this timeline, well written and absorbing." - The Culture Concept
Synopsis
Agatha Christie was the author of over eighty novels and over a dozen plays, including The Mousetrap, the longest continuously running play in theatrical history. Her books have been translated into more languages than the works of Shakespeare.
About the Author
Hilary Macaskill is a journalist and travel writer. She was formerly a publisher, a publicity manager for publishing companies and a lecturer in journalism at City University. She lives in London.