Daphne du Maurier

Born into a prominent artistic family, Daphne du Maurier was the granddaughter of George du Maurier, a novelist and cartoonist for Punch, and the daughter of actor and impresario Sir Gerald du Maurier. Her theatrical lineage might lead one to expect a life of flamboyant public display, but du Maurier herself was notoriously private, preferring the quiet solitude of her Cornish estate to London’s literary circles. Her stories, however, were anything but quiet.

Du Maurier's most famous works, "Rebecca" and "Jamaica Inn," cemented her reputation as a master of atmospheric storytelling. Hitchcock certainly thought so, adapting multiple of her works, including the chilling short story "The Birds," which perhaps made a few more people afraid of pigeons than they were previously. Her novels are still widely read and adapted today, proving their enduring power to captivate and unsettle.

Despite her enduring literary legacy, there is absolutely no indication whatsoever that Daphne du Maurier had any Jewish connections, identity, or ancestry. While her characters grappled with hidden pasts and complex identities, her own seems to have been decidedly gentile, leaving "Jew or Not Jew" with little to kvell over in the heritage department.

However, for delivering a consistent stream of literary gold that still sends shivers down spines and gets people wondering what's behind the locked door at Manderley, du Maurier certainly earned her kvell points. Her tales may not have been Jewish, but they certainly were masterful.