Success for Margaret Rutherford came at a late stage when she was entering middle aged but she became a national treasure. Merriman’s biography is an warmly affectionate tribute to an equally endearing actress who wandered her own innocent, eccentric path through life. whether she’s cycling round Wimbledon or eating on cucumber sandwiches with cups of tea between takes ; whether it sharing her love of poverty through recitals or swimming at the sight of any water with her devoted husband of 27 years, Stringer Davis. Despite being described by journalists as a spaniel-jowled actress’ or ‘a dreadnought with good manners’. She retains a beloved place in the hall of fame.

Margaret Rutherford seemed to have a gift of kindness which she left in every place she visited or any person whose life she touched. Merriman follows her career from the spluttering beginnings in rep, to the career-defining role on stage and screen as Madam Arcati in Coward’s Blithe Spirit, which was to haunt her for the rest of her life. Her increasing roles in theatre and in cinema turned her into a national treasure which eventually saw her talents for entertaining rewarded as a Dame. Today her talent can be appreciated in Passport to Pimlico , I’m All Right Jack and her portrayal of Miss Marple in four films As Merriman reveals, she was privileged to work with a whole host of great names such as Noel Coward, Sir John Gielgud, Robert Morley, Peter Sellers, Frankie Howerd, Dames Edith Evans and Flora Robson.

However, there was one dark shadow that was ever present through her life, a family secret that was better to ignore than to come to terms with. She was raised by her Aunt Bessie after her mother committed suicide when she was three and her father was incarcerated in Broadmoor for murdering his own father. Margaret preferred to think he had died, but it also meant she lived in fear for her own mental health, which in the worst bouts of depression saw her taking long periods of convalescence. Despite, this Merriman shows that her unrelentless childlike love of life is what remained her undying quality . A bringer of mirth and joy that this book so fondly celebrates.