It started with a message. It was from my sister, telling me that my nieces were to appear in their latest theatre school production, and asked me if I would like tickets. The show in question, Oliver. Of course it is. When I caught up with my nieces later that week, their talk was ofContinue reading “My World of Dickens”
Tag Archives: Catherine Cookson
The Kindness of Catherine Cookson
Those of you that follow my blog know that I have recently made quite an effort to read some of Catherine Cookson’s extensive catalogue of novels. Having recently moved back to the North East, I wanted to read books that evoke the heart and the spirit of the land that I now, once more, callContinue reading “The Kindness of Catherine Cookson”
The Branded Man by Catherine Cookson
The Branded Man by Catherine Cookson My rating: 4 of 5 stars Continuing on with my immersion in the works of Catherine Cookson, I delved into The Branded Man. Published in 1997, one year before she died, I think in this work, more than in her previous, we can really tell that she was strugglingContinue reading “The Branded Man by Catherine Cookson”
Catherine Cookson’s Plainer Still
Plainer Still: A New Personal Anthology by Catherine Cookson My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is an interesting addition to the vast body of work produced by a prolific writer, but very different to her usual story-telling novelistic form. Comprised of a series of poems, essays, recollections, and snapshots of her life, the bookContinue reading “Catherine Cookson’s Plainer Still”
When A Sequel Goes Wrong… The Mallen Secret by Rosie Goodwin
After my recent foray in reading Catherine Cookson books, I came across a sequel written by Rosie Goodwin. All I can say is that I really wish I hadn’t. As I always like to give a reason when I rate a book with three stars of less, here are my thoughts on The Mallen Secret:Continue reading “When A Sequel Goes Wrong… The Mallen Secret by Rosie Goodwin”
Catherine Cookson’s My Beloved Son (and the problem of a flawed premise)
My Beloved Son by Catherine Cookson My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is one of those books where I thought the story line was fantastic, it was well-paced and had clever characterisation BUT and it is a big but, the difficulty I had was that one of the fundamental premises of the book wasContinue reading “Catherine Cookson’s My Beloved Son (and the problem of a flawed premise)”
Catherine Cookson’s The Gambling Man
Of all of the Cookson novels I have read so far, this one is my favourite, and, in my opinion, the one that is the best written. As you would come to expect from such a prolific novelist, she creates a realistic setting, engaging characters, and a pacy narrative lawyered with relatable conflict and suspense.Continue reading “Catherine Cookson’s The Gambling Man”
Catherine Cookson’s The Cinder Path
This was a rather fitting read for this time of year, with part of the book set during World War I. I was rather pleased to find a Dickensian reference in The Cinder Path, and I have blogged about this already at https://deborahsiddoway.com/2020/11/0… As this is the fourth Cookson novel that I have read, I amContinue reading “Catherine Cookson’s The Cinder Path”
Chatterbox – A Victorian Journal
I started reading The Cinder Path by Catherine Cookson, the fourth novel of hers I have turned to as I embrace my Northern heritage after moving back up here. I will come back to that book when I have finished reading it. But one of the things I want to explore is the historical settingContinue reading “Chatterbox – A Victorian Journal”
Catherine Cookson’s The Girl
The Girl by Catherine Cookson My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was a difficult book for me to read, given the central character is presented as the illegitimate offspring of a middle class, relatively well-off family man. This is my second foray into Catherine Cookson as I read my way through a compendium ofContinue reading “Catherine Cookson’s The Girl”
Deborah Siddoway 