A Daughter’s a Daughter

A powerful tale of the love—and jealousy— between mothers and daughters by Agatha Christie, written under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott.

Agatha Christie, famous for her ingenious crime novels, also wrote about crimes of the heart. Written under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, Christie’s tales of romantic suspense further explore the human psychology she was so intrigued by, freed from the expectations of her mystery fans.

In Christie’s fifth novel published as Mary Westmacott, the love between a mother and daughter turns to jealousy and bitterness. Ann Prentice falls in love with Richard Cauldfield and hopes for new happiness. Her only child, Sarah, cannot come to terms with the idea of her mother marrying again and wrecks any chance of her remarriage. Resentment and jealousy corrode their relationship as each seeks relief in different directions. Are mother and daughter destined to be enemies for life, or will their underlying love for each other win through?