[1] So she boards a ship and while travelling to New York for an appearance at the trial, she meets Ellen Doubleday, who is incredibly glamorous and elegant, and Daphne is instantly smitten.

Amy Jenkins, who adapted the book to film, worked with both author Margaret Forster and the du Maurier family to help form the script.

[2] BBC said the movie is focused on the period of du Maurier's life that followed the success of Rebecca and led up to the writing of her short story The Birds, later made into the classic film by Alfred Hitchcock.

[2] AfterEllen was disappointed in Geraldine Somerville's performance, calling it "rather limp", but praised Elizabeth McGovern as "radiantly beautiful and warm", and was also impressed with Janet McTeer, stating she "is instantly compelling and glamorous as Gertrude".

They concluded the story is well-constructed, and "writer Amy Jenkins does a good job of winding Daphne's two loves together, showing the ways in which they affect and complement each other".

Cooke did have kind words for the actors though, saying "Geraldine Somerville...was exquisitely diffident...Elizabeth McGovern...was charming and delicate...and Janet McTeer...managed to pull off the great trick of being rapacious and breezy at the same time".