Agatha Christie

An Elusive Woman

By: Lucy Worsley

Narrated by: Lucy Worsley

Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

"Nobody in the world was more inadequate to act the heroine than I was."

Why did Agatha Christie spend her career pretending that she was "just" an ordinary housewife, when clearly she wasn't? Her life is fascinating for its mysteries and its passions and, as Lucy Worsley says, "She was thrillingly, scintillatingly modern." She went surfing in Hawaii, she loved fast cars, and she was intrigued by the new science of psychology, which helped her through devastating mental illness.

So why—despite all the evidence to the contrary—did Agatha present herself as a retiring Edwardian lady of leisure?

She was born in 1890 into a world that had its own rules about what women could and couldn't do. Lucy Worsley's biography is not just of a massively, internationally successful writer. It's also the story of a person who, despite the obstacles of class and gender, became an astonishingly successful working woman.

With access to personal letters and papers that have rarely been seen, Lucy Worsley's biography is both authoritative and entertaining and makes us realize what an extraordinary pioneer Agatha Christie was—truly a woman who wrote the twentieth century.

©2022 Lucy Worsley (P)2022 Tantor

An intriguing and complete biography

I love Lucy Worsley, and I love Agatha Christie! I learned so much about the author, yet it felt like a conversation with a friend and not a lecture. Well done!

Lucy Worsley is my idol!

Just like everything else Lucy does this was great!! I loved her narration (I have no idea what the bad reviews are talking about??), and the story she puts together is great! I'm not even a big Agatha Christie fan and Lucy has now convinced me to try Agatha again! Great audio book. Lucy Worsley has yet to let me down! Catch her on her BBC specials too most of the air on PBS!

Interesting and insightful

This book provided such an in-depth portrait of the author. Loved it and loved Lucy Worsley’s enthusiasm for her subject.

A delightful read

Worsley is a charming and enthusiastic reader. The backstory of one of the most prolific writers is quite interesting. Perhaps a little less on her tax troubles, but overall well worth the listen.

Wonderful reexamination of a talented woman

As always Lucy Worsley delivers an excellent, well researched, eminently readable/ listenable and engaging biography. Her reading of the book made it all the more enjoyable.

What Fun!

One either likes Lucy Worsley's work, or doesn't. I'm a fan, have always enjoyed her documentaries on British television, and when by chance I discovered this book on this site, snapped it up. Very well researched and fortunately even-handed as others have not been about Agatha Christie, what makes the book so delightful is that Worsley read the audio herself. I know I wouldn't have enjoyed it nearly as much with any other reader. I've read and loved Christie's books since the sixties so didn't really learn much new about her or her work, but it was fun also to revisit the fine lady.

A keen observer

For fans of Lucy Worsley it is a must read. Plus for fans of Agatha Christy it is a gift.

Worsley at her best!

I am not a particular fan of Agatha Christie but I AM a fan of Lucy Worsley so I thought I would give it a try. Thank you Lucy. Hesring your words in your inimitable style was wonderful. Still not a fan of Agatha Christie 's books but found her life stiry to be thoroughly fascinating.

Fantastic Deep Dive into the real Agatha!

I have always loved Agatha Christie’s books but haven’t been a big biography reader…until now!! Wonderful stories, impeccable narration and an obvious love of this fascinating author has made me a big fan of Lucy Worsley’s biography of Agatha!

Great Insight and detailed journey!

The book provides great insight into Agatha’s life and all of the events that shaped her journey. She was as complex and multi-dimensional as her books. She made her way in an ever evolving socio-political time colored by 2 world wars and the transition into the modern world. A strong minded woman who had to face personal & societal diverse transformations all along the way some because the world was changing so dramatically and some because she was a woman at a time that when being a woman in that world meant having to re-create yourself at so many steps and turns.