A unique look at the life of celebrated American author Patricia Highsmith based on her diaries and notebooks, and the intimate reflections of her lovers, friends and family. Focusing on Highsmith2s quest for love and her troubled identity, the film sheds new light on her life and writing. Most of Highsmith2s novels were adapted for the big screen; the best known of these are Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley. Carol, a partly autobiographic novel, was the first lesbian story with a happy ending to be published in 1950s America. But Highsmith herself was forced to lead a double life and had to hide her vibrant love affairs from her family and the public. Only in her unpublished writings did she reflect on her private life. Excerpts from these notes voiced by Gwendoline Christie, beautifully interwoven with archival material of her and her most famous novel adaptations, create a vivid, touching portrait of one of the most fascinating female writers.