Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman

Who was the real Agatha Christie? While hugely prolific and successful—she is considered to be one of the world’s most-read authors—Christie would often describe herself as a housewife. British historian and BBC presenter Worsley (Jane Austen at Home), in this careful consideration of Christie’s life, argues that few truly knew her. Born into a privileged family that later fell into straitened circumstances, Christie was a true product of her social class. However, Worsley argues, the expected trajectory of Christie’s life was disrupted several times—by World War I; by a job in a pharmacy (which informed the novelist’s encyclopedic knowledge of poisons); and by an impulsive marriage to war hero Archie Christie—culminating in Agatha’s 10-day disappearance in 1926. In the ensuing media storm, speculation regarding her motives—much of it salacious—was rife. Worsley provides a welcome and objective addition to the Christie record; her conscientious examination of previous Christie studies, especially regarding the events of 1926, reveals much of the earlier reporting to have been inaccurate and unfair. Worsley argues that the real Christie is in the text.