The Mary Ann Novels

by catherine-cookson

Volume 1 follows Mary Ann, a young girl living in poverty in a dockland tenement on Tyneside, from the ages of eight to thirteen. She is determined to bring about a better way of life for her family and, to the amazement of the gentle parish priest, Father Owen, and the rage and consternation of her arch-enemy, Sarah Flanagan, Mary Ann's tenacity eventually pays off.

939 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1986

Reviews

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first novel is so/so.. Such a young heroine takes some getting used to. She is only eight in the first three novels. I found the second and third novels highly entertaining and fourth was great. Once you get use to an eight year old main character, the going is pretty good. Mary Ann deals with friends, enemies, street fights, overstrict nuns, gets her dad a job, tries to keep him from the bottle, wishes her granny dead most of the time (and one really can't blame her!), and in between bouts of "misbehaving" confesses her sins to her beloved Father Owen. If you can get your hands on this rare book, it is worth it. Much laughs.

[Cheryll · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Catherine Cookson's best! I loved every chapter, every page, every word! Mary Ann made me laugh, cry and get angry! All the characters were great. An amazing story - I didn't want it to finish.

[Ellen Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to get into as used to my chick lit books but enjoyed it in the end

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The purity of Mary Ann's to love to who all she loved just broke ma heart. And somehow, somewhere me and Mary Ann became one. Her tears became mine too wetting the words in the book as if to comfort them. Her happiness became mine and I could actually feel the zephyr in ma heart each time she smiled. And sometimes, the utter despair and hopelessness killed me and ma soul followed Mary Ann desperately for a way out of it. There were times when I gripped the book tightly for fear of Mary Ann. Her troubles, their solutions, her determination and even her love was beyond her age.

The Irish English was a bit difficult for me. But once I started reading, they all fell into places. It was also difficult to get used to such a young heroine of eight years old and her thoughts. The little complex life of Mary Ann captures everyone's heart. The characters are very vibrant and distinct.I loved everything about this book. The sudden ups and downs, the extreme happiness and the sudden deep plunge into the valley of despair,the thin streak of hope that follows it, the characters with pathetic cruelty, the farm,the village and the convent setting, the characters who are the epitomes of pure unconditional ageless love...they all make this book worth reading a thousand times.