Mary Wesley first began writing '' The Camomile Lawn '' after the death of her second husband left her destitute . She finished writing it in 1983 , and was persuaded to publish it by her editor James Hale . Parts of the book were based on Mary Wesley 's early life . The house in Cornwall was based on Boskenna , the seat of the Paynter family , where Wesley spent much time as a young woman . After a coast guard fell to his death near Boskenna , Wesley suspected foul play and created a fictionalised version for her novel . Like Polly , Wesley worked for military intelligence during World War II . The character of Oliver was based on her former boyfriend Lewis Clive while Max was based on Paul Ziegler ( brother of Heinz Otto Ziegler ) , one of her friends whose parents died in the Holocaust . Additionally , Mary Wesley 's sister quarrelled with her over the depiction of Helena and Richard Cuthbertson in the book , as she believed that they were based on their parents
the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Camomile Lawn