Customer Reviews (1)

A book that stays in your mind
This is one of the first books I read for Catherine Cookson. I read it about 10 years ago & it still plays in my mind sometimes. That is why I gave it a five star. Not many books are that memorable.

The story basically for me is about how gossip starts & develops, eventually to be believed by the ones who started it. The way Ms. Cookson wove this story is amazing.
I think this is one of Ms. Cookson's best books. Read it & enjoy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Catherine Cookson cooks withTHE GAMBLING MAN
Rory Connor is a gambling man plain and simple. Born into a poor family, even his mum knows that someday he will make something of himself.He collects rents from the local habitants for the local gentry. The patriarch dies, leaving his plain, spinster daughter to carry on the family business.

Rory is pressed to find gambling games that will afford him more cash in order to buy a house for his upcoming marriage and a small business venture for his brother. Rory pilfers a small amount of cash to enter a fixed game with the Pitte brothers, a local gang. A mistake that cost him Rory his conscious as a close friend goes to jail for a year for thievery Rory committed. He manages to win a large amount of money but is badly beaten and left for dead.

While recuperating he is visited by his fiancé and also Charlotte Kean, the lady of the manor. It's easy to see that she is smitten with him and continues to engage him in his rent collector's role.

He marries his intended but is plagued with guilt over his misdeed and confesses during a nightmare. His new wife is furious at what he's done and leaves him to return to her family. She is then commissioned by the mistress she works for to accompany their family on sea voyage, where they are all lost at sea. While mourning is loss, a year goes by and Rory is promoted to bookkeeping by Charlotte.

Finally no longer able to contain her affections for Rory, Charlotte makes propositions him with an offer of marriage--in name only. He will not be required to fill his marital duties and will in fact reside in his own apartments.
Rory of course makes her his wife in every way, giving her a happiness that she could only dream of.

Charlotte has been busy collecting evidence against the Pitte brothers and a crew of malcontents that plague the docks, and in fact were responsible for beating Rory and other crimes against the local humanity.

Though everyone is whispering about Rory's marriage to Charlotte, he finds himself falling in love with his plain, gentle wife. She informs him that she is with child, and he is beyond happy--until he learns that his first wife has returned, a shell of her former beautiful self, and bitter when she finds out that he has remarried.
She threatens to expose him even as Rory declares to her that he loves his new wife and that she is expecting.

The Pitte brother's burn Rory's brother's business and redemption is satisfied when Rory enters the burning building to save him.With his body on fire, he manages to save his sibling, but incurs fatal burns and survives long enough to declare his love once more to charlotte.

Catherine Cooks tells stories the way we author's today are no longer allowed to. Always filled with passion, and redemption, Catherine always showed the cruelty as well as the beauty in the lives of those who weren't always rich and powerful. Her stories includes their downfall, as well as their redeeming qualities. As with most of her books, I highly recommend THE GAMBLING MAN.

Just Cookin'
This book begins in a very poor district of a city in England during the Industrial Revolution.The division between classes is very notorious.I have to admit that I found myself struggling for the first 100 pages or so,but then afterwards I was hooked.I am not to unveil the main trama butthis is the story of a man that fights his way up the slums (with somehelp) and at this point the author provides us with many surprises, upuntil the end of the book.Things that had been building up in the 100previous pages finally start falling together in a carefully laid outfashion, and a very romantic way.The feelings are intense. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Interesting Book
This was just an enjoyable book.I have read it three times and will read again in the future.It takes place in war torn England and it is beautifully written.It has romance, drama, mystery and all the elements of a good book.There is murder, deception and love.The story is never dull and the characters are likable and believable.
... Read more

Product Description
This is a real life detective story, tracking down the missing father of one of Britain's most famous authors - the father she didn't want anyone to know about! Best selling author Catherine Cookson created a profoundly affecting literature out of the personal tragedies of her working class upbringing and early life in the industrial North East. Her biographer gives this account of her search to discover the truth of Cookson's childhood and the mystery of her father's identity. As the story unfolds, the reader is led to a deeper understanding of the demons that drove Cookson to become one of the most popular novelists of her day. It is a story of terrible poverty, of harsh lessons learnt generation after generation, but also of hope and eventual reconciliation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent!
I had just read a Catherine Cookson biography and wondered if this book would have anything to add. It most certainly did! The author did meticulous research that leaves little doubt Catherine at some point became aware of who her father was. Early on Catherine had been led to believe her father was a gentleman. This belief shaped her personality. Although she never spoke openly about who her real father was, her novels cover subject matter that touch closely on her father's life story. This is an amazingly well done book. ... Read more

Product Description
Since the age of 15, Martha Mary has had to be a ''little mother'' to her sisters. She has managed the hou sehold since her mother''s death, and now she longs to be mar ried. Then her father dies and it turns out that the family finances are worse than expected. ' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Pleasureable Victorian Read
In the style of a George Eliot or one of the Bronte sisters, Cookson has shaped a forlorn setting in which an admirable young woman of spirit and mettle grows to have a deeper understanding of the corruption pervasive in Victorian society and to develop the strength to speak and act on her own convictions.While the last few pages are a bit too contrived, as are those of most Victorian writers, the characterizations, largely brought out in dialogue at a good, steady pace, are well worth the read, especially for a young woman between 15 and 20, who will find the work uplifting. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Mischievous Mary Ann
Mary Ann is up to her usual mischief in the second novel of the Mary Ann series. She is still eight years old, but this novel has a bit less of the "childlike" feel to it than did the first one. In this one, Mary Ann and her ma and da and brother Michael are living on a farm. Her father has quit drinking... for the time being. Mary Ann has developed a bit of a relationship with the owner of the farm, Mr. Lord. She has quite a few "not so companionable" relationships as well, namely with her nemisis, Sarah Flannigan and another young farm girl, Lena. Her friendship with Mr. Lord is the cause of much jealousy to the other two young girls and Mary Ann is constantly fighting with one of them and then repenting to her beloved Father Owen.

There is a few laughs in this one. My poor husband has once again been jarred awake in the middle of night due to my laughing my arse off while reading in bed. I really do need to get him some ear plugs. It is not all laughter and fun tho, as Mary Ann's mother has a former suitor reappear in her life, causing Mike (Mary Ann's da) some distress. Will Mike hit the bottle again? If he does, will he lose his job?

Mary Ann continues appealing to both Father Owen and the "Holy Family" as she calls them, but can they help her this time?

Cute story, but dims when compared to some of Cookson's other works. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

How Racism Destroys A Family
This is a novel about racism and hate and how it destroys a family.Not that the family in this book needs much help destoying themselves.A more hateful family in literature, one will be hard pressed to find.The McQueens, hate each other, they hate their neighbors, and it is inevitable that they hate the new addition to their family, a black man named James.

This new addition to the family comes about when Bridget marries him. When she brings him home, she discovers she cannot take the hateful stares, comments, and remarks and she turns to the bottle.This leads to drastic consequences and James has to run away, leaving his precious daughter, Rose Mary behind.

Following the life of Rose Mary, readers witness racism in the 1950s and the destruction it causes, how ignorance ruins entire families.Towards the end, Rose Mary has a choice between two men that love her and want her no matter her race.(I still have my doubts about the one tho..)

Three stars because I HATED the ending.Also, there is an issue with Bridget's brother Matt that was never fully explained.He seems to desire her or something and I found it almost as disturbing as all the racism towards both James and Rose Mary.And what bothered me more than anything is Rose Mary's nastiness towards Arabs.This didn't fit especially with her having been at the receiving end of racism herself.

Colour Blind
Delivery is much delayed due to distance. First book did not arrive. They made good, however, by sending me a second copy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Cute Heroine
This is the first in a series of eight novels about a fiesty British girl named Mary Ann.In this first one, we are introduced to some of the main characters that I presume we will be seeing more of in the next seven.Mary Ann is eight years old in this one and she lives with her ma and da and brother, Michael.Across the street is a girl named Sarah Flannigan, Mary Ann's most hated enemy.Mary Ann's best friend would have to be Father Owen, a priest that she likes to confide in.And Mary Ann has a lot to tell Father Owen.Her father is an alcoholic and her mother is thinking of leaving him.But Mary Ann truly believes her da is a grand man and in between fighting with Sarah and sticking her tongue out the window, we see how devoted Mary Ann is to her father and very much in denial about his problem.Towards the end, however, Mary Ann sees the truth and she makes one last attempt to keep her parents together.Can this eight year old girl attain her father a job and a cottage and keep her parents together while she does so??

This is not up to Cookson's usual flair.It has a childish feel to it.I do not think the young adult crowd would quite understand the humor injected into tho. Thus, three stars.

Introducing the irrepressible Mary Ann Shaughnessy
Little Mary Ann and her family are poor and live in
Mulhattan's Hall. With strong, child-like belief in the
powers of her beloved Da and the Catholic Holy Family,
however, the child herself lifts the family out of poverty.

She accomplishes this by bullying and charming rich,
powerful Mr. Lord, into giving her occasionally-alcoholic
father a farm job which should keep him off the booze.

This a a strong novel about families.In view of recent
books describing family systems, Mary Ann is the young
Star of the family, her loyal, strong personality overshadows
her brother Michael.Her brother takes after their quieter
mother Lizzie, a rational woman who has fallen in love
with a sometimes irrational man.He loves his wife and
family but Mike just can't give up the booze whenever his
self-esteem takes a blow, or if things aren't going well.
Keen Mary Ann senses this, and time and again protects
and now we would say enables her drunk father. She won't
even say the word drunk, her Da gets "sick" occasionally.
Lizzie the mother and Michael the brother can't handle
Mike's drinking, but Mary Ann, so like her father, knows
just how to deal with his episodes, no matter how harsh
or embarrassing Mike becomes.

Parish priest Father Owen, knows all about these family
issues from young Mary Ann's Confessions, she poignantly
believes that the priest in the confessional is tempararily
blinded and can't know who he's talking to.This frees
up the priest to be Mary Ann's shoulder to cry on. Mary Ann
also gains comfort from kind-hearted neighbor Fanny McBride,
her father's only champion.

A sometimes heartbreaking look at father/daughter love, and
the first gem in the shining Shaughnessy series. ... Read more

Product Description

When Kate Mitchell was offered the job of parttime secretary at Tor-Fret, a lonely old house on the Northumberland fells, she had no idea that the household was composed only of men.

Her employer, Maurice Rossiter, an embittered victim of polio, was subject to alternate fits of temper and depression. Even so, Kate found it difficult to understand his peculiar hatred of his elder brother Logan, on whose charity Maurice was obliged to depend. But when she accidentally stumbled upon Maurice with Logan's fiancee, she became aware of some of the secrets of Tor-Fret, and realised she was getting too deeply involved with Logan Rossiter and the other inhabitants of this mysterious household...

House of Men is a powerful novel, originally published under the pseudonym of Catherine Marchant, by Catherine Cookson, whose many bestselling novels have established her as the best-loved of contemporary women writers. ... Read more

Product Description
Large Print Edition: Set in postwar England, this is a powerful tale about a love story stron enough to overcome all odds. It will melt your heart. ... Read more

Product Description
Invalided out of the army at the end of the war, Matthew wonders what place there is in a new social order for a blind man.He has the sympathy of his family and friends, but it seems the only person who can help him is his nurse, Liz. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

This Book Caused Me to Become A Cookson Fan!
While browsing through the shelves at my local library, the title of this book - A House Divided - caught my attention.I think it brought to mind some passage in the Bible referring to the fact that a house divided cannot stand.At any rate, reading this book caused me to become a Catherine Cookson fan.Even though it isn't now my favorite book of her works, it must have been pretty great to cause me to go back over and over again in search of her stories.When I had read every book that both the local library and a library in a nearby town had to offer, I began ordering the ones I had not read through Amazon. I have now read over 80 of her more than a hundred novels and I am still searching.Great author!

Good..but get to the point already!!
In the end, after all is said and done, I'll admit the characters were lively, and the plot very good.But I was exhausted by the time I finished reading this book!It took forEVER to get to the point of things, and there was a lot of repeated dialogue.Imagine pulling on a string, hoping to get to the end, and you find yourself tugging, and tugging, and tugging in frustration, but to no avail.That's how I felt when reading this novel.

Good but not her best
World War II may be over, but for many of the soldiers the battle has just begun. Captain Matthew Wellingham struggles with being blind, having much of his skin destroyed, and a rage bordering on insanity. Only the gentlecaring of Nurse Elizabeth Ducksworth pulls him through his period oflunacy.

After being discharged from the hospital, Matt meets Liz andknows he is in love with her. Liz goes home to end her engagement to a bigbully who tries to rape her. Only her brother stops him from succeeding.Liz and Matt see each other and confess their love for one another. Thoughhis parents and gran adore her, the path to happiness is wrought withtroubles caused by other males demanding that Liz be theirs despite her owndesire for Matt.

The concept of a nurse falling in love with herpatient suffering from several combat related injuries including blindnessseems very interesting on the surface. Additionally, the legendaryCatherine Cookson affectionately and vividly describes 1946 England.However, much of the conflict in the plot of A HOUSE DIVIDED comes fromexternal sources, making the story line appear contrived rather than freeflowing. No internal conflict between the lead couple exists in this tale,leading to the belief that this could have been a classic, but ultimatelyfalls a bit short.

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Product Description
A powerful, compelling story of false promises and family conflict, set in rural England at the end of the 19th century.Amazon.com Review
When English widower Hector Stewart takes a new Irish wife, his children, Daniel and Pattie, have considerable reservations. Their stepmother, Moira, has foreign habits, strange manners, and a brash maid named Maggie Ann. But as Hector becomes increasingly belligerent, Moira, Daniel, and Pattie bond together against his wicked tempers. Unable to withstand the growing tensions, Pattie leaves the farm and advises Daniel to join her. Though Moira bears numerous children, Hector continues to waste his money on drinking and whoring and earns the well-deserved hatred of the rest of his family.

Dwindling fortunes and a well-nurtured Oedipus complex accelerate the rivalries between son and father until a fatal "accident" removes the evil Hector. Daniel falls in love with the beautiful but shallow Frances and remains blind to the allure of the plain but reliable Janie. Burdened with the responsibility of Moira and her seven children, Daniel is unable to successfully woo Frances. Bound to the farm and the family, it looks as if Daniel may spend his life caring for everyone but himself.

Bestselling author Catherine Cookson uses her masterful knowledge of 19th-century English life to flesh out the setting of this classic contrast between familial duty and self-interest. While some readers may find Cookson's deliberate pace and ingenuous themes at timesfrustrating, others seek out her work for just this type of insight into human relations. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Family saga
Good historical about an English family in decline due to the tyrannical father's squandering of the wealth.The father, Hector Stewart, marries an rich, or so he thinks, Irish woman.

The story deals with the existing children and the new step-mother from Ireland and how they all cope with the abuses of the Hector Stewart.

A tragedy frees all of the family to live different lives and find a better future.

This is a good historical saga and well worth reading.

A surprisingly good find
Set in Northern England in the late 1800's, widowed farmer Hector Stewart decides to marry Irishwoman Moira Conelly but here's the rub - he thinks she's coming into money and she thinks he's much better off than he truly is. Nor does Moira realize at first she's married a drunken, womanizing wastrel on the edge of running the farm into the ground. Nevertheless, Moira has a secret or two of her own and she does her best to make the best of it, which includes an ever growing brood of children.

Hector's debts and drinking continue to drag down the family's livelihood, until a fatal accident changes all their lives - but it forever binds Daniel to the land and Moira's children. Will Daniel ever be able to break free and claim the woman he loves? Does Frances really love him or is she just looking for the best free ride life can hand her? Will Daniel ever wake up and smell the coffee and see the woman who has loved him for years? Inquiring minds want to know....

While this isn't the fasted paced, page turning, action packed book you're likely to come across I enjoyed it a great deal and definitely plan on seeking out more from the author - and at about 100 novels she should keep me very busy for quite some time. This is the kind of feel-good comfort book that's perfect for snuggling up with on a rainy day or a wintry afternoon. 4/5 stars.

Never a disappointment.
Cookson has been writing historical fiction for over forty years and I have been reading it for close to thirty. After her death in 1998 her estate released this last book. As always she gives us strong characters with loving ways, drama, death, murder, class struggles, and even a bit of lust and loving along the way.

Set in Northeast England we are entertained by the comings and goings of the Stewart family. Patti the rebellious daughter, and Daniel the subservient son, manipulated by a father Hector Stewart who is evil and pathetic. After their mother's death, Hector finds he hasn't the money to run the farm, so is forced to marry an Irish woman with the promise of an inheritance.

I love how Cookson is able to take the reader into her world and make you want to return to it. Even after years without one of her books, I find myself drawn to them, like a renewal of something wonderful never to be forgotten. She will be sorely missed. Kelsana 9/24/01

Always at her best
God bless her.She will be missed.I have loved her works for over 20 years and this one is as good as it gets.

A great read
Late in the nineteenth century northern England, Hector Stewart decides that two years as a widower is enough. He announces to his children, Pattie and Daniel, that he plans to remarry. His bride to be is a wealthy Irishrelative, Moira Conelly, whose father happen to be his father'shalf-cousin. Hector expects Moira to bring money as a dowry that he can useon their failing farm.

Moira wed Hector to escape her home, but shehonestly thought she married a wealthy landowner. In spite of the lack ofnew capital, at first everyone is happy with the marriage as Moira adds adimension of happiness into their lives. However, over the years as thefamily fiscal crisis worsens and Moira seems to be in a constant state ofpregnancy, Hector blames everyone, including the "deceitful"Moira, for his troubles. How will the lack of nurturing from the angry,cold Hector impact everyone else in the family, especially as they reachout for love?

THE DESERT CROP is the last novel from the greatCatherine Cookson, who passed away last year. However, the story is atribute to the talent of one of the hall of famers of romance writing. Thestory line is vintage Cookson, taking place in her usual time and universe,and involving individuals and a family struggling to cope with pendingdisaster. The characters are somewhat simplistic, but perhaps that is wherethe charm of Ms. Cookson lies as their motives are easy to understand. Fansof the deceased superstar have a gold medal final novel of loveredeemed.

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Mary Ann and the Nuns
Mary Ann is still eight in the third installment of the Mary Ann series, but surprisingly, I enjoyed her and her eight year old sassy self still.In this one, Mary Ann must live up to her end of a bargain with Mr. Lord and she must head off to a convent to become educated.So the fiesty, highstrung Mary Ann is now surrounded by devout, prude nuns.Those who know Mary Ann from her previous novels know this cannot last!!

Sure enough, poor Mary Ann gets one bad "mark" after another, ends in one mishap after another, and even finds another "Sarah Flannegen" to fight with.It is only a matter of time before she escapes and races off to her home and her beloved ma and da and brother, Michael.But things at home are not all peachy and she doesn't get the welcome she expects.Mr. Lord is upset.Her ma is afraid her da is having an affair.Her evil granny puts her two cents in and the hated Sarah Flannegen is smug and full of attitude at Mary Ann's fall from grace.

A surprise addition is made in this story with the mysterious Tony that comes to work on the farm.. He has a secret connection to Mr. Lord.This new character may have a drastic effect on the farm, on Mary Ann, and her family.

Nevertheless, after escaping from a convent, what is next for Mary Ann??

The Devil and MaryAnn
Catherine Cooksons' insight into the young people of her time is awe inspiring. I fell in love with Mary Ann and her benefactor the gruff Mr Lord and how through her, good things were happening for her 'Da' Her friend Mrs Flannagan is a wealth of advice which Mary Ann takes to heart. Too bad her grannie is such a dreadful person to her and her 'Da' but whatever happens Mary Ann comes through it with flying colours ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

"Tilly Alone" or "Tilly Trotter Widowed"
This is the excellent conclusion to a trilogy by Catherine Cookson.Also known in the U.K. as "Tilly Trotter Widowed" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The selfish one
I liked this book it was much better than the last one. I like the spirit of Hannah. I am glad I didn't have to read much more about Barbara. She was self centered spoiled rotten brat, even in her adult hood.This is the type of book you can read in a day. I am glad that Ben and Hannah found each other.

The Mallen Curse.. Who Will Survive?
This is the third novel in the Mallen triology.In this one, we have a few characters left from the previous ones.. as death and tragedy seems to follow the Mallens and their loved ones very closely.This novel has Barbara who is married to Dan Bensham, the never dying Anna Brigmore (now Bensham) and Barbara's true love, Michael.

The tragedy that befell Barbara and Michael's relationship in the Mallen Girl has had serious consequences on all involved and the story carries in to this one.This novel explores the world of cheating spouses and true love that is requitted too late.Spouses and children alike are hurt and damaged by it.Anna Brigmore is standing by with a disapproving eye as always, but she undergoes some unhappiness herself as her husband passes away from the shock of scandal that is occurring under their noses.

Meanwhile, while hearts are breaking left and right, Barbara's young sons, Jonathon, Benjamin, and Harry are growing up only to be faced with World War One.Are they the last of the Mallens?Will these young men survive the Mallen curse?Will their mother ever know true happiness?Truly, a dramatic page turner that will keep you up into the wee hours of the morning.

I highly recommend that readers read the first two Mallen books before this one. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

wonderful book
I read this book a long time ago, but it is agood book. Catherine Cookson is a excellent author. It is unreal the cruelty orphan children went through in the last century. They weretreated like slaves. ... Read more