Product Description

Catherine Cookson was one of the world's most beloved writers. Her books have sold millions of copies, and her characters and their stories have captured the imagination of readers around the globe. She passed away in 1998, but luckily for her fans, Cookson left behind several unpublished novels, among them the compelling Silent Lady.

The story begins with a shocking revelation, delivered by a disheveled woman who presents herself at the offices of a respectable law firm in London. At first the receptionist suspects this mysterious woman is a vagrant; the clothes that hang on her frail body are filthy, and she seems unable to speak. When the woman requests to see the firm's senior partner, Alexander Armstrong, she is shown the door -- but when Mr. Armstrong learns the name of his visitor, all the office staff is amazed by his reaction. For Irene Baindor is a woman with a past, and her emergence from obscurity signals the unraveling of a mystery that had baffled the lawyer for twenty-six years.

To those around her, Irene Baindor had been a young woman of class and musical talent, the wife of a wealthy and powerful man, and the mother to a beloved baby boy. But behind closed doors she was a woman with a dangerous husband, a husband who would one day act with such cruelty that Irene would be left without most of her voice and memory. It was then that Irene disappeared. What Irene had been doing, and where she had been, gradually emerges over the following weeks, as the unlikely benefactors who had befriended her step forward to reveal the remarkable life she has led.

Fans of Cookson's novels, with their larger themes of romantic love and class conflict, will be delighted by the mystery and surprise of The Silent Lady. Drawing from her own firsthand experience of working-class life between two world wars and in the 1950s, Cookson once again displays the irresistible plotting, scene-setting, and characterization that have made her an icon of historical and romance fiction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Uplifting
Sure there are flaws in this story. But overall it is so uplifting, so noble & I ended up with such a good feeling that those flaws become less significant. My one cavil is I would have the husband to suffer more what what he did. Like being in prison.

Her final book.
After an illustrious career that spans half a century Cookson thought she was finished. With failing health and too weak to write or type she dictated, what to her was a story that must be told. As she approached the project, she reminisces in the dedication, that she had the story in her head from start to finish, and it was actually a warranted way to take her mind off of her miseries and impending death.

The story begins with the astonishing arrival of a woman who has been missing for well over two decades. From this moment on we are led down a path of injustice and redemption. The characters are so real you can feel their hearts beating from the pages of the book. Adverse as their lives are they find joy in each other and the simple moments of the day.

I will miss this author, it is good to know that her works will live on for years to come.Kelsana 3/23/02

Irene's Sad, Silent Life Finally Revealed
Set in London in the early twentieth century, as are many of Catherine Cookson's novels, this book tells the story of Irene Baindor, once a beautiful woman of high class and musical talent, who was mysteriously ejected from her home with the rich, powerful and dangerous Richard Baindor. The book begins with Irene showing up at the Armstrong law offices in a tattered coat and hat, looking like a street person, having disappeared many years ago and presumed to be dead.

The book then back-tracks to uncover her past with Bella and their ragtag band of lads. Bella is a kind hearted but poor woman who helps out those worse off than she is by providing food and lodging for a pittance. She'll take in any decent person as long as they aren't violent or alcoholic. A mysterious, timid waif of a woman shows up in her yard looking like she had been homeless for a while. She is frightened, particularly of strange men, and almost mute, and Bella takes her in. She calls herself Reenee, but seems to have few memories or her past, and is often scared into a semi catatonic state. She proves to be a hard worker and becomes very dedicated to Bella and her lads and they gradually form a family of sorts.

The years go by and the mystery of Reenee's past is never solved, until one day the name of Dr. Baindor is mentioned in her presence. She decides to visit the doctor, who turns out to be the son she hasn't seen since he was 4. As her memory gradually returns, and she is reunited with her son, the sad and awful truth of her destructive years with Richard is revealed.

Bella is a loveable well-developed character, and the dichotomy of the richest and poorest classes is evident in this book as in other Cookson novels; however not enough of the inner thoughts and motivations of the main character, Reenee (the Silent Lady), are revealed until too late in the book to allow the reader to truly develop any empathy or understanding of her plight.

fun early-mid twentieth century British relationship tale
In 1955 London, a woman in tattered clothing arrives at the law firm of Alexander Armstrong & Son.The receptionist starts to toss the vagrant out, but hesitates when the woman mentions Mr. Armstrong by name and says she is Mrs. Baindor.The receptionist still has doubts, but informs a higher up who informs Alexander.Upon hearing the name, a stunned Alexander races out of his office to see the disheveled woman.He arranges for Mrs. Baindor to enter his sister's nursing home.

Over twenty-six years ago, Irene Baindor vanished after a particularly nasty argument with her abusive spouse.Alexander has been looking for her ever since with no success until she arrived at his office wearing the same garb she wore over a quarter of a century ago.She holds a package in a death grip refusing to let it go, but his willing to cooperate on everything else as long as Alexander gets her son to visit her.Still, he wonders, as he has since she vanished, where she has been all this time?

THE SILENT LADY is an exciting mystery that works quite well when readers glimpse the enigmatic Irene's abstruse past.However, the action bogs down when others pontificate with endless soliloquies.Irene is the key character whose past makes the story line hum when it centers on her, but when someone else like Alexander takes the stage, the plot loses momentum.Though she died in 1998, Catherine Cookson is still cooking those engaging early to mid twentieth century British relationship dramas that have made her a household name.

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Product Description
Beginning in the reign of the young Queen Victoria, thethree Tilly Trotter novels tell the story of a beautiful girl growingto womanhood amid hardship and despair. Pitting her wits against thelocal Tyneside villagers, who hate her and accuse her of witchcraft,Tilly's strong instinct for survival leads her to become, in turn, theloving mistress of a wealthy man, and then the wife of his son,travelling to the strange and perilous land of America.

When her husband is killed, Tilly returns to take possession of hisestate. The villagers prove even more hostile and suspicious, butTilly is supported by. faithful friends and warm memories. Life stillhas much in store for Tilly Trotter, old loves and enmities providingfresh challenges to a woman as spirited as ever. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Period Drama!
I had never really read any Catherine Cookson until I discovered the film adaptations on Netflix. They turn out to be truly quality productions with great characters and complex storylines. Of all, Tilly Trotter is perhaps my favorite character. The movie only covers the first book of the trilogy. I wish they would produce the sequels. The US titles are Tilly, Tilly Wed, and Tilly Alone. They're all equally engaging and moving stories. We watch Tilly from a young girl, targeted by ignorant villagers and labeled a witch all because she has that charisma that draws all men. Wherever she goes tragedy seem to follow her. Nevertheless, she persists. What makes this trilogy so great is the depth of the characterizations and the realistic historic feel of the times. You'll weep and cheer with Tilly and her supporting cast of characters. You won't be able to stop until you've read all 3 books! And then you'll be so sorry it's all over.

A romantic saga filled with tears, joy, and drama
I really enjoyed this complilation of all three of the Tilly Trotter novels.The characters are so meaty and well depicted - you really feel as if this were a true story and these these characters truly lived and breathed.From the very first chapter, I was hooked in and could not stop reading this massive tome until all three books were finished.I laughed, I cheered, and many times I cried and felt true pain for many of the characters in this book.The middle book, Tilly Trotter Weds, is real heartstring tugger - it is very emotional and powerful.I gave this a 4 stars only because the last book, Tilly Trotter Widowed, although still a very well written book, was a bit disappointing.The final book just didn't quite seem as believeable in many ways, even though it was still very enjoyable to read.

entertaing summer read
If you are looking for a meaty story this is it.tilly trotter had me ascaptive as the other people in her story.i wanted an entertaining saga forthe long hot summer and found it here catherine cookson has many twists andturns in this omnibus. you grow along tillys trials and tribulationsthrough her life wanting to yell do this or dont do that.the mini seriescreated for this story should have gone on.im sure cookson would have wonsome kind of award. i just ordered another of her books

liking the wayshe writes. try it you wont be sorry. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Fourteen-year-old Marie Anne Lawson, youngest daughter of a prosperous Northumbrian family, fleeing from something she couldn't bear to see, fell and broke her ankle.She was discovered by a local man who, because of a disfigurement, was known thereabouts as 'the bandedman'.

Her mother impatiently awaited her recovery, for she had already planned to send her wayward daughter to London, where her Aunt Martha could encourage the child's natural talent for the piano.But Aunt Martha's regime was so harsh that only the friendship of her aunt's companion, Sara Foggerty, stopped Marie Anne from plunging into despair--that and the encouragement she received from her music tutor.Why, then, did his sudden disappearance make it necessary for her to return to Northumberland, this time into the care of her grandfather?

Set at the turn of the century in Northumberland and London, THE BRANDED MAN is the gripping story of Marie Anne, Sarah Foggerty and the mysterious 'branded man', who was to influence both their lives to an extent that neither of them could have imagined.This, Catherine Cookson's eighty-fifth novel, is yet another example of her extraordinary talent for compulsive storytelling. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Wonderful
Both the seller and the book are wonderful. Great service, book in new condition. Couldn't ask for more!!!

Summer Reading
Delivered on time.Quality is good.Price was right.
Another excellent novel by Catherine Cookson. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

interesting biography
Lots of before unknown information on thenlife of one of my favorite authors - Catherine Cookson ... Read more

Product Description
Thomas Mallen of High Banks Hall had many sons, most ofthem bastards. But to alI of them he passed on his mark - adistinctive flash of white hair running to the left temple, and knownas the Mallen Streak. It was said in the Northumberland countrysidethat those who bore the streak seldom reached old age or died in bed,and that nothing good ever came of a Mallen.

Starting in 1851, this compulsively readable sequence of novelsfollows the stormy lives of the Mallens though succeeding generations,linking the England of Victoria with the dark days of the First WorldWar.

Collected together in one volume for the first time, CatherineCookson's Mallen novels are richly entertaining tales of family lifeand relationships which touch the heart and offer much shrewdobservation of the human condition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Great Introduction to the Literary Works of Cookson
These were my first Cookson books, and they were not the last.These three novels are full of scandal, love, passion, pain, and all the ups and downs that can happen to a family in late 1800s England.

The Mallen Streak begins in 1851 with Thomas Mallen, a hard, arrogant man who has it all.Drastic events cause him to lose everything and he turns to his nieces' governess, Anna Brigmore and a small cottage for his shelter and comfort.Little does he know that he has sired a very angry illegitimate son that means to destroy his life by marrying one of his nieces.

The Mallen Girl focuses on the "results" of book one, two children, Barbara and Michael.Barbara is deaf and this novel offers great insight into the life of deaf girl during those times and the difficulties.Barbara also loves Michael, but the world struggles to keep her away from him.She does something quite drastic that will change all their lives forever. What I didn't like about this one is the Bensham family.They never seem to shut up.

The Mallen Litter refers to Barbara's three children.This novel deals with unrequitted love and scandalous affairs and the effects they have on the children.Tops off with England entering World War One.

Fabulous
Could not put the book down. Excellent storyline. The author moved you along through the generations of this family and the impact on those entering their lives. So many breathtaking surprises. Can hardly wait to read more of Catherine Cookson's writings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Catherine Cookson writes a thrilling novel!
I watched the movie, (The Secret) before I read the book. I adored the plot and immidiatly had to buy the novel. After reading it, I came away with a wonderful feeling. I loved all the characters and the book just contained so much more.

A wonderful book for any Catherine Cookson lover. :o)

Another great one!
Catherine Cookson has done it again.Another great book; one can't put down.Freddy is a likeable imp always coming out on top and Belle is a headstrong young girl who finds out what true love really is. Marcel who is a Dr, Jekyll/Mr. Hyde character is well written.A good book from start to finish

Catherine Cookson Powerfully at her best !
Catherine Cookson's Harrogate is another 'magnate'of fiction.Immediately one is endeared to Freddie-he's small he's slippery and he's lucky!The luck somtimes turns bad-Mr Gallagher sees to that but usually the luck is good and loving.His love of Maggie Hewitt is an everlasting love, somewhere between motherly love and 'falling in love'. When Mr Gallagher is gone he still has the power to threaten and ruin Freddie's successes.And Belle, Belle, Belle! Nearly murdered! Yet through Maggie and Freddie's intercession she becomes abeautiful woman ,but noticed by the wrong man....... This novel is riveting-not to be put down from start to finish! One of the very best of Catherine Cookson's creations. ... Read more

Product Description
Vanessa Ratcliffe was just sixteen - and even though shehad a convent education she had a provocative manner that drew enviouseyes in her direction. She lived in one of the big houses on BramptonHill, for the Ratcliffes, a powerful and avaricious family, wereconsidered 'big' folk in the town.

Angus Cotton was a rough diamond who lived in Ryder's Row, down amongthe goods yards and dirty streets. But as an engineer at Affleck andTate he was worth his weight in gold; and the manager, Vanessa'sfather, knew it but hated to admit it. Angus had ambitious plans forhis future, and although these plans had never included Vanessa,events were to draw them together... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Cookson has another winner!
I am a confirmed Cookson-aholic,have read all her books, some a second time-as I did this one.It's a love story, but an unusual one with the noted Cookson twists.It's a story dealing with clashing of the lower and upper class societies in England.There is always conflict in her novels but the characterstriumph in the end.Van and Angus are the main characters, you cheer for them and understand the struggles both families have when they marry.Ittakes awhile for the "Happily Ever After" to kick in but the book is well worth your time!Cookson rocks!

The Round Tower of my Heart
The Round Tower poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"I have you fast in my fortress,
And will not let you depart,
But put you down into the dungeon,
In the round tower of my heart.

And there will I keep you for ever,
Yes, forever and a day,
Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,
And moulder in dust away!"

I would give the book 10 stars if I could.
What a beautiful story. The thing that hooked me was the round tower poem -above- and after that I couldn't stop reading.

I don't want to spoil not even a bit of the story so I'll tell you very little about it. It's about Van & Angus, she's from a wealthy influential family, he's the son of the house maid. Van gets into trouble & runs away from the luxuries she's lived with all her life. Angus aspires to be rich & win her. What happens is nothing they prepared for.


The "Round Tower" won the Winifred Holtby award
for the best regional novel of 1968

Catherine Cookson stories are multi dimensional, her characters are real, their problems are real & the way they deal with them is real. Her stories are memorable, especially this one. Read IT! It's a keeper.


READ IT! & thank me later ;)

why
why does Amazon.com have a book listed & when you bring it up it saids it is not available ???????

The same thing with the audio tapes.

The Round Tower Of My Heart
The Round Tower poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"I have you fast in my fortress,
And will not let you depart,
But put you down into the dungeon,
In the round tower of my heart.

And there will I keep you for ever,
Yes, forever and a day,
Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,
And moulder in dust away!"

I would give the book 10 stars if I could.
What a beautiful story. The thing that hooked me was the round tower poem -above- and after that I couldn't stop reading.

I don't want to spoil not even a bit of the story so I'll tell you very little about it. It's about Van & Angus, she's from a wealthy influential family, he's the son of the house maid. Van gets into trouble & runs away from the luxuries she's lived with all her life. Angus aspires to be rich & win her. What happens is nothing they prepared for.

The "Round Tower" won the Winifred Holtby award
for the best regional novel of 1968

Catherine Cookson stories are multi dimensional, her characters are real, their problems are real & the way they deal with them is real. Her stories are memorable, especially this one. Read IT! It's a keeper.

READ IT! & thank me later ;)

Wonderful! One of Her Best!
I loved it! A story that I will never forget! I felt like I was part of the story! The Round Tower was very real and made me want to read it over and over again!! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An Enjoyable and Heart-warming Story
Catherine Cookson creates memorable and lovable characters in this book. The main character is a young girl, Lizzie, whom we meet at the age of 14. She is step-daughter to a woman who is quite disreputable. The step-mother allows Lizzie to go out on an errand to deliver a pie to a man living in a secluded cottage in the county of Durham. The man tries to rape her. She is rescued by a corporal named Geoffrey Furham. He is just about to be shipped out to the Suez Canal to serve in World War II. He finds the conditions of Lizzie's home life so deplorable that he appeals to his invalid mother, to take the girl into the house as a servant. Lizzie goes to stay with Mr. and Mrs. Furham while Geoffrey goes off to war. In the ensuing time during his absence, she grows up into a beautiful and fine young woman Several men vie for her attention, including Geoffrey, when he returns. A fast read with many a good plot twist.
The complexities of the war, especially all the lose of life and the trials that were endured by Great Britain are highlighted with great effect. Cookson evokes the time period perfectly. The stoicism of the British people is brought out. Cookson also takes the time to emphasis the difficult adjustments that were made between a newly returned soldier and his family.

a review
The book was delivered in excellent condition shortly after ordering, I enjoyed reading it very much. ... Read more

Product Description
These are two great books by Catherine Cookson. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

"The Spaniard's Gift" or "The Whip"
Another great book by Catherine Cookson, otherwise known as "The Whip."One of her more memorable novels. ... Read more

Product Description
Marrying a professional dancer, prosperous farmer Ward Gibson is stunned by the murderous jealously of Daisy Mason, a young neighbor who believes Ward was promised to her. 30,000 first printing. National ad/promo. First serial, Good Housekeeping. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Summer Reading
Arrived on time.Quality was as expected for the price...good.
Good author for summer reading. ... Read more

Product Description
An absorbing, beautifully told story of wealth, family ties, and class conflict during the 19th century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

One of Cookson's family sagas...the usual meaty characters
One of the best things about Catherine Cooksons family saga novels is the way she points out the vast differences in person- ality that the children have.Siblings are usually more different than alike.Parents discover that not only do they sometimes not love their children, they often actively dislike them, and vice-versa.

Cookson's novels aren't afraid to be brutally honest when it comes to the reality of the nuclear family. I find that quite refreshing.

The Upstart is about surviving in the class system and the effects family members have on each other. Janet Fairbrother and Roger Maitland are the obvious good-guys to root for here, we're very happy for them when they finally come together.I found the concept of the perfect butler who's still very human quite interesting.The misguided workaholic Dad was also somewhat sympathetic.I didn't know what to make ofAlice the mother though, her cruelty to Janet threw me.

The wealthy have problems too, and Catherine Cookson tends to deal out an equal amount of unhappiness to her rich, middle- class and poor characters alike.This common touch graces her books with heart and believability.

very intertaining
This book is one of Catherien Cookson's best. you can feel for this family the pain & unhappeness they go through. The father thinks he is better than everyone else even though he isn't & the children and his wife are not happy with their lives. Some rebel.

Very good work by Britain's favorite historical author
In 1898 England, wealthy shoe merchant Samuel Fairbrother decides to move his wife and eight children out of their working middle class environment into a home once owned by a penniless aristocrat.Samuel wants his family to hobnob with the gentry, though his household is very contented where they are.In spite all of his money, the local gentry refuses to accept him as their equal. Samuel still feels that his money, the home and his butler, Roger Maitland will eventually provide the necessary bridge to his goal.However, his upscale lifestyle begins to fall apart when his wife announces that she no longer loves him because he loves only money.

Nine years later, the world is about to collapse around the Fairbrother family.The oldest son, Howard has become a lying cheat, who tries to get money from anyone he can in any manner he must.Alice, the oldest daughter is falling in love with Roger, an unacceptable situation to Samuel. Because he has failed to love his family, Samuel may end up with no one who cares for him.

Readers will enjoy the latest family drama from the great Catherine Cookson.The story line about the hypocrisy of the British class system is well written and made interesting by the various characters.With THE UPSTART, the author has cooked up a classy Victorian relationship novel that will be devoured by Ms. Cookson's myriad of fans and by readers of historical fiction.

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Hardship and aventure in historical England
This story is set in the year 1852.Davy Halladay, the main character of the novel, is a teenager, and his brother, John Willie, is ten years old.These two boys are inseparable, and having grown up in a fairly loveless family, care for one another and look after one another.John Willie is deaf and dumb and is treated by most people as if he is an idiot, but Davy is convinced that his brother understands much, despite his handicap.The Coxon family, who live in the same street as the Halladays, are particularly cruel to John Willie, and even Davy, who defends his brother, fears them.The boys and their father live in the north of England, in the river Tyne country, somewhere near the town of Durham.The village they live in is very small and most people know one another by name.The Halladay family occupies a house owned by a mining company, as does everyone else in the village, and indeed most males in the place work in the coalmine.This is a hazardous and backbreaking job.Davy has worked down the mine for several years, however, the company refuses to employ John Willie.Last year, though, Davy persuaded the bosses to let John Willie accompany him at work.Leaving his younger brother above ground would have meant that there would be nobody to defend him.One day there is a disaster in the mine and Davy becomes lost in the utter darkness that ensues.What has happened to his father, and where is John Willie?Are they all right or dead?Can Davy find his way to the surface, or is the path forever blocked with rubble?

Right from the opening paragraph of the book this is a story of action and adventure.The story moves along at a fast pace and Davy and John Willie must overcome one difficulty after another.This is a realistic book and the story reveals the many hardships which poor people actually had to suffer in times past.The book, however, is certainly not a boring history lesson, and the reader may be surprised at how fun learning can be.

This is a novel with the theme of `caring,' for family, for friends and even for strangers.Charity is something which makes the world a nicer place, but its real power lies in its ability to change the human heart, to make us better people.The book is also about struggling to overcome trouble, even problems that have plagued us for years.Escape from defeat can come from sources we least expect.

The characters in the book are well drawn and Miss Peamarsh stands out as a particularly interesting person.She is a feisty and capable woman, but also aloof.We certainly like and care about most of the people Cookson has created, and in the case of bad people, as indeed there are a few in this book, we hope for their defeat.

Cookson is a popular author and she writes particularly well for young readers.This book would suit readers from grades six to nine and would be excellent for a school book report.

Hardship and aventure in historical England
This story is set in the year 1852.Davy Halladay, the main character of the novel, is a teenager, and his brother, John Willie, is ten years old.These two boys are inseparable, and having grown up in a fairly loveless family, care for one another and look after one another.John Willie is deaf and dumb and is treated by most people as if he is an idiot, but Davy is convinced that his brother understands much, despite his handicap.The Coxon family, who live in the same street as the Halladays, are particularly cruel to John Willie, and even Davy, who defends his brother, fears them.The boys and their father live in the north of England, in the river Tyne country, somewhere near the town of Durham.The village they live in is very small and most people know one another by name.The Halladay family occupies a house owned by a mining company, as does everyone else in the village, and indeed most males in the place work in the coalmine.This is a hazardous and backbreaking job.Davy has worked down the mine for several years, however, the company refuses to employ John Willie.Last year, though, Davy persuaded the bosses to let John Willie accompany him at work.Leaving his younger brother above ground would have meant that there would be nobody to defend him.One day there is a disaster in the mine and Davy becomes lost in the utter darkness that ensues.What has happened to his father, and where is John Willie?Are they all right or dead?Can Davy find his way to the surface, or is the path forever blocked with rubble?

Right from the opening paragraph of the book this is a story of action and adventure.The story moves along at a fast pace and Davy and John Willie must overcome one difficulty after another.This is a realistic book and the story reveals the many hardships which poor people actually had to suffer in times past.The book, however, is certainly not a boring history lesson, and the reader may be surprised at how fun learning can be.

This is a novel with the theme of `caring,' for family, for friends and even for strangers.Charity is something which makes the world a nicer place, but its real power lies in its ability to change the human heart, to make us better people.The book is also about struggling to overcome trouble, even problems that have plagued us for years.Escape from defeat can come from sources we least expect.

The characters in the book are well drawn and Miss Peamarsh stands out as a particularly interesting person.She is a feisty and capable woman, but also aloof.We certainly like and care about most of the people Cookson has created, and in the case of bad people, as indeed there are a few in this book, we hope for their defeat.

Cookson is a popular author and she writes particularly well for young readers.This book would suit readers from grades six to nine and would be excellent for a school book report.

Story of Late Victorian Life in Northern England
Sometimes Catherine Cookson managed to write a touching story of English regional life.Though not a long book and written on a level that could be enjoyed by a young adult reader, Our John Willie is a touching story of a woman who lives separated from what should be her peers on a small bit of property and a father and his two sons-- one, the John Willie of the title is mute and deaf.

Written in her straight forward style, Cookson captures both the grinding poverty of the period she is writing of and the stifling morality of the middle class.As in may of her novels, she argues for the freedom granted by education. ... Read more

Product Description
At twenty-one, Jinny Brownlow's life is not going as well as she had hoped. She's working at a dead-end typing job at an engineering firm and has just been dumped by her fiancè for her own roommate. Outside of work her only hobby is her local theater group, but even there she's just a general helper and not credited with having any talent at all. Something needs to change in Jinny's life, and it may have to be Jinny herself.

"A bloody cultured handmaiden...Yes, that's a good description of you. So agreeable, so polite, so damned eager to please." These are Ray's words to Jinny the night he confesses he's gotten her roommate, Emily, pregnant. Ray had apparently found Emily a more willing bedmate, and he reminds Jinny that things might have worked out had she been more cooperative. Thinking this over after Ray's departure, Jinny recalls the past year with a sigh. Her experiences with men have been disasters.

Jinny's lonely life -- working the day away at her desk and sitting alone in her tiny apartment at night practicing French and listening to her radio -- seems destined to continue indefinitely, until one day the owner of the firm, Mr. Henderson, calls her into his office. Known to be a devil of a man who works longer and harder than everyone else, Bob Henderson seems an unlikely candidate to change Jinny's life. When she's called to do typing for him she's terrified but refuses to cower like the other secretaries and ends up earning his respect and affection. On the same day, Hal Campbell, leading man in her theater group, goes out of his way to take a special interest in Jinny and her personal problems, and she realizes she may not have to be as lonely as she thought.

Each of these two men will be an important part of Jinny's changing life, inspiring her to become less of a "cultured handmaiden" and think more about what she wants, but she's holding out for the perfect man -- one who will treat her like a princess while respecting her beliefs about marriage and her hesitancy to give herself to any man outside those sacred bonds. After a twisting, unpredictable search, in the end Jinny discovers that there just might be someone for everyone after all.

The Cultured Handmaiden displays the beloved Catherine Cookson's powers at their fullest and her enduring themes of hardship, love, virtue, and hope. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Probably for only the most diehard Catherine Cookson fans
AlthoughI've always known of Catherine Cookson, for whatever reason I've never read any of her books.So I recently decided to give her a try, and picked up The Cultured Handmaiden.I did not finish the book, but quite about one-fourth of the way through.While I didn't hate this book, I definitely didn't love it, either, and since a Catherine Cookson fan has since told me that her historicals are much better, I've decided to wait and try one of those, instead.I've found that authors tend to be good at either historicals or contemporaries, but almost never is an author good at both.

I'm giving it one star not because it was so absolutely terrible, but because if a book is DNF it automatically gets one star from me.

I suspect that only the most diehard Catherine Cookson fans would enjoy this book.It definitely has a different "feel" to it that I think most American readers would probably find "foreign."

Fantastic
Both the seller and the book purchased are fantastic. Book in new condition. Seller gave wonderful service, fast delivery. Highly recommended.

A young lady before her time.
This story of Jinny Brownlow takes place in England's industrial Tyneside town of Fellburn. The time is during the 1970s and Jinny works in a secretarial pool for an engineering company.She is offered the position of secretary for the company's head, Bob Henderson. Henderson is a difficult man who is known to cause female employees to flee his office, often in tears.
What could be a cog in the life of the twenty-one-year-old Jinny turns out to be a blessing. Self assured and mature beyond her years, she isn't shy about responding to her boss's sometimes-rough remarks in kind. Low and behold, Jinny is just the challenge and breath of fresh air Henderson wants in his life. Welcomed almost as a daughter by Henderson's wife, Alicia, Jinny's future looks bright and she is enjoying all the blessings her new position brings to her life.
Her love life unfortunately is another story.Greatly disappointed several times in this area, Jinny concentrates on her new work-related responsibilities and life flows along smoothly until tragedy strikes the Henderson family. Thrown into turmoil and saddened by the tragedy, Jinny tries to find her footing - again.It isn't easy and one sad experience follows another.
The Cultured Handmaiden is Author Catherine Cookson's first novel to come to the United States. It will take American readers a little time to become accustomed to the King's English and some terms used in the story, but the language only makes the novel more interesting and authentic.
The story seems mild and gentle compared to today's fictional novels, which are often filled with overt sexuality and questionable language, but that is a refreshing change of pace.I found the story to be intriguing and a very good study of a woman (Jinny Brownlow) making her way in the world at the beginning of the growing movement of feminism.
A pleasant read.

fine English relationship drama
Her fiancé Ray Collard dumps twenty-one years old Jinny Brownlow insisting her roommate registered nurse Emily Houselea is much warmer.At work Jinny is part of the typing pool at Henderson & Garbrook Engineering when the senior partner Bob Henderson needs office assistant help with his long time aid in the hospital.After several girls are run off by the demanding Bob, Jinny is kicked upstairs and calmly handles the curmudgeon refusing to bow to his nastiness.

Jinny becomes indispensable at work but eventually in her boss' personal life too especially when Henderson's wife dies.Concerned over her growing influence on their father and how much he likes Jinny's company, Bob's four daughters worry that their dad will marry his young assistant.However, though she likes her boss, who obviously finds Jinny helping him to overcome his loneliness and grief, she finds herself quite attracted to his son John.Her feelings are awkward because he acts strange towards her as one moment he seems in love with her and the next he acts like she is beneath him.

Though the tale takes place in the 1970s, class distinctions still remain a part of English society as this reprint by the late great Catherine Cookson portrays.The story line focuses on the relationships between Jinny and the Collard family including the wife before she dies.Fans will appreciate this fine English relationship drama while wondering who the lead female will choose, if anyone.

Harriet Klausner
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Customer Reviews (4)

Great story
Some people didn't like The Black Velvet Gown as much as Catherine Cookson's other work. I have to say the DVD of The Black Velvet Gown was my first introduction to Catherine Cookson and I was immediately hooked. I read the book to fill me in on areas of the DVD I didn't quite get. This is still one of my favorites on two fronts. It shows what any person can do with an education and what any woman can do with an education. The female characters are very strong. At the same time it shows all the complexities of class and economic exploitation. Cookson never sugar coats her stories. They are always raw and never judge the difficult choices people make in order to survive while nonetheless suffering the consequences.

Educating the Lower Classes...
I didn't realize that the education of the "lower" ranking classes in the late 1800s was such a controversial issue till I picked up this book.For a Cookson novel, it was a tad disappointing.. I have come to expect a bit more out of her.It had an interesting enough start beginning with a woman named Maria and her four children.Her husband has just passed away of Cholera, leaving her with two sons, two daughters, and a small bag of money in a mining town that wishes to kick them out.After being turned aside by her own family, Maria takes a journey that leads her to a manor house with a peculiar master.The master provides a roof over her and her children's heads in exchange for her housekeeping skills.He also takes it upon himself to educate her children.This is not without its price, however.

At this point, it gets interesting.. The master has an inappropriate attraction to Maria's older son.There are some scandalous occurences and the famly is split apart as blackmail enters the picture.

The last half of the novel is about Maria's daughter, Biddy, who at this point is educated and according to the "gentry" and their servants, doesn't know her "place." As she enters the laundry service at a larger estate up the road, readers see how badly educated lower class people were treated.Biddy makes a stand tho and begins teaching others to read.At this point, it is a war between upper and lower class and educated versus uneducated.Can Biddy survive the struggle at the big house?Will Maria find happiness despite the restrictions her "master" has put upon her?

Interesting but not one of Cookson's best.

Somber but So Readable!!
I love Catherine Cookson and found this book to be just as enchanting and enjoyable as her others.She is such a wonderful storyteller and this story, though somewhat dark, is comparable to the other books of hers.Poor Riah with so much of the world on her shoulders, is a memorable character indeed.As in most of Catherine Cookson's books, this you will want to save to your bookshelf!

pleasantly surprising
I picked this book up for 50 cents at a library used book sale.I read it on a whim and was so enchanted with it, i couldn't put it down until finished.I found myself at work, wondering about what would happend to Riah when I got home and started to read it again.
The story:Recently widowed Riah picks up her four children in search of work in the 1830's.She finds herself housekeeper and caretaker to an eccentric single master.He teaches her four children, not only to read, but all the classical learning well above their class level. It brings more trouble..... i don't want to give away the story, but i didn't think all that happened in the 1830's.Catherine Cookson made me believe.
Definitely a good read.... a little sappy because i guess eveything kind of ends for the most part happily. ... Read more