Bill Bailey

The Bailey Chronicles #1

by Catherine Cookson

Bill Bailey came into the life of a young widow Fiona Nelson and her three children as a lodger. He appeared to be ordinary enough but behind his rough charm lay some remarkable qualities, which were to have a great and lasting effect on the future lives of Fiona and the children.

Before long Fiona and Bill are married and they embark on a life together. They adopt a child and have one of their own. But their path is never smooth, and fluctuating fortunes take them from success to failure and back again...

Collected together in one volume for the first time, Catherine Cookson's first three Bill Bailey novels are richly entertaining tales of family life and relationships which touch the heart and offer much shrewd observation of the human condition.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Novels

213 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Catherine Cookson was born in Tyne Dock, the illegitimate daughter of a poverty-stricken woman, Kate, who Catherine believed was her older sister. Catherine began work in service but eventually moved south to Hastings, where she met and married Tom Cookson, a local grammar-school master.

Although she was originally acclaimed as a regional writer - her novel The Round Tower won the Winifred Holtby Award for the best regional novel of 1968 - her readership quickly spread throughout the world, and her many best-selling novels established her as one of the most popular contemporary woman novelist. She received an OBE in 1985, was created a Dame of the British Empire in 1993, and was appointed an Honorary Fellow of St Hilda's College, Oxford, in 1997.

For many years she lived near Newcastle upon Tyne.

Reviews

[Shirley Revill]

I never realised I had read so many Catherine Cookson stories till I started to create a list of books that I have read. A very gifted lady who brought so much pleasure to many people through the years.
Loved her stories and the film adaptations of her books. Storytelling at it's best. Recommended.

[Benjamin Stahl]

For grandmma lit, I must admit that Catherine Cookson deserves recognition. This was not as good as the previous novel I read - The Harrogate Secret - but all in all, Bill Bailey is not a bad story. I didn't like how it teased towards certain genres but then backs away and changes direction - at one point it morphs into a quite suspenseful kidnap thriller - but in the end, with the emotional climax, I realised that I cared about her characters more than I had realised.

[Ladan Fazli]

You can not help but love the characters...

[Gena Lott]

This is the first in a trilogy. Very well written and full of poingnant moments, realization and change.

[☆Ruth☆]

If I have reached chapter 4 in a book and I still don't care one way or the other what might be going to happen to the characters, I know it's time to consign it to the 'bin-it' pile.

[Sandra Coones]

I read this years ago... And decided to read it again... Bill might be a bit gruff but you can tell he loves his family...

A nice read..

[Caroline]

First read this book over 25 years ago. It hasn't lost any of its magic or sparkle in 2020. A great escape from the current world.

[Lili]

I read all of Catherine Cookson's books some years ago and enjoyed them immensley. I recently re-read all of them and find that on a second look I found them all so very predictable, and was rather disappointed. However I'm sure that it is my tastes that have changed not the calibre of her story telling.

[Beverly Low]

Really great

cookson does it again!!!! Oh how she takes you away...a must read that will make you laugh and put you on the edge of your seat

[Redmakesmyheartsing]

As a teenager I was a big fan of Catherine Cookson and read all her books. As a young adult I enjoyed exploring the places she mentions when I visited County Durham. Now the books are on audible, I am revisiting them. This story contains the right amount of sadness, tension, and happiness to make it compelling. The narrator was terrific. The credibility of the Bailey plots is somewhat stretched, but it is fiction, and we do need a little make-believe taking us away from our day-to-day lives. That's why I like Catherine Cookson. I think it's a pity that the author is dismissed as a romantic novelist, as her work is much more than this. Cookson's books give a great insight into the lives of the people of County Durham, where she hails from.

[Kirsten]

I picked this up on Audible Plus because Catherine Cookson was a favourite of my Mum and Nana when I was growing up. I was surprised that this story was contemporary to its publication in the 80s, as in my mind Catherine Cookson wrote historical fiction. Reading this 30 years later I suppose it is historical, and some of the ways the characters interact has definitely aged, which probably clouded my views. Having said that, the characters were well-rounded, and the story kept my attention; I can see why getting "a Catherine Cookson" from the library was a source of conversation at the Sunday lunches of my childhood.

[Gertrude]

Listened to this on Borrow Box. This has not aged well. Lots of things that were clearly appropriate at the time the book was set are most definitely not appropriate now. For example Bill Bailey going to the school and confronting his child’s bully. Pulling down the bully’s trousers and lashing him across his bare buttocks with a ruler. Also the way he takes control of the household and speaks to his wife would be considered examples of domestic abuse today. However the story if you can ignore the above held my attention.

[Peter]

Great read🧐!!!

As always Catherine Cookson spins a spellbinding yarn which is as realistic as everyday life. Very easy to read, excellent characterisation and a plot woven around life as we know it.

[Mookie]

Maybe a 3, it held my interest till the end. I cannot understand why it needs sequels. It's my understanding that this was a popular book at the time, but... I dunno. Doesn't appeal to me. It feels like a Cookson tailored fantasy.

[Debs]

Sadly I found this one a little bit boring. It was all very nice on the whole…nice family story. But in contrast with other Catherine Cookson stories I’ve read, not a lot of traumatic stuff and injustice happened in this one! I do like a bit more drama in a story!

[Sharmani Jayaram]

A Superb Read

Once of the best books read so far by the author. There is great characters, humour to this emotional read that captivates you from the start. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to other readers.

[Cheryll]

Another enjoyable read. I look forward to finding out more about Bill Bailey!

[Louise]

Good but not one of the best, I did enjoy it though.

[Phylisha Stone]

Love this book!!!!

[Ruth]

A fairly innocuous read. It is of it’s time but managed to be an entertaining read. Recommended to the normal crew who like a bit of nostalgia with their tea.

[Moira Stranack]

Very funny very sad a good read

This is the first of the bill Bailey books iv read them before and I'm reading them again I read them as a young girl

[Angela Phillips]

I loved this book just started to read book 2

[Ruth Canas]

wonderful

It was very enjoined and funny. Had some nice lessons, too.
Wish the story kept going on. A feel good book.

[Shirley Dawson]

A good enthralling story. Just what you would expect from Catherine Cookson.

[Zoe Adams]

3.5 stars. This is extremely dated, and very 'not' politically correct, but it was actually delightful.

[Elaine Hargrave]

Typical Catherine Cookson set in the North East. Young widow with 3 children takes in a lodger to help finances. After marrying then health problems arrive.

[Bernie]

an enjoyable read once I got into it. Years since I read any Catherine Cookson

[Lynn Smith]

Set in the Tyneside town of Fellburn, a novel in which a widow with 3 children, Fiona Nelson advertises for a lodger to make ends meet, and into her life steps Liverpudlian, rough around the edges builder, Bill Bailey. It is not long before she wonders how she ever managed without him.
Bill often described himself as a middle-of-the-road man, valuing his freedom where personal matters were concerned. He might be outwardly an ordinary enough bloke, but he appeared to possess some pretty extraordinary qualities, which proved to have a great and lasting effect on the future lives of Fiona and her young family.
In Bill Bailey Cookson introduces to her readership, a wonderfully engaging character who is ``a Liverpudlian by birth, but a Geordie by inclination.''

This is a richly entertaining tale of human relationships which are warm-hearted, full of humour and powerfully dramatic.

[Barbra]

This is the first book in a triology. Although I did read the books they are not one of my favourite series by her.

Back Cover Blurb:
Set in the Tyneside town of Fellburn, a novel in which Fiona Nelson advertises for a lodger to make ends meet, and into her life steps Bill Bailey. It is not long before she wonders how she ever managed without him.

[Vickie]

Fun book of an interesting step family.