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The Fifteen Streets
Life on the Fifteen Streets was tough – a continual struggle for survival. Many families gave up and descended into a dismal state of grinding poverty. Born into an ever-expanding family, John O’Brien grew up in abject poverty, his world circumscribed by the hardships and the stigma of life on the Fifteen Streets. Labouring on the city’s docks and trying to keep his loved ones safe from the drunken wrath of his father and brother, this is the only way of life he knows. Then John O’Brien meets his sister’s teacher. Beautiful and elegant, Mary Llewellyn belongs to that other world of wealth and privilege. Mary is also one of those rare women who wants to help the less fortunate in the hope that education will enable them to escape their desolate lives. What begins as a casual conversation over tea blossoms into a rare love, but fate steps in when John is accused of fathering the child of a local girl. Mary is forbidden by her parents to see John and the couple begins to believe that the gulf between them cannot be bridged and will forever come between their love. But their deep and abiding passion wins through and transcends this gulf of the Fifteen Streets. The Fifteen Streets is a captivating and compelling novel and a rare treat for lovers of romantic fiction.
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1952
49 people are currently reading
624 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Cookson
501 books683 followersCatherine 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
September 6, 2023
This is my first Cookson, and I only really read this because I found a boxed collection of cookson novels in the garage about a month ago that my Nana had left to me. She loved drama's both in books and within TV adaptations, and although this book was a little twee for my personal tastes, it did make me think of her fondly.
I think I watched the TV miniseries with my Mum some years ago, so I loosely knew the story before opening the book. There is much going on in the book at any one time. Yes, there are rather predictable romances, but alongside that there are other storylines going on, ones that almost override the romance, which I think worked well.
I thought the characters were well fleshed out, and each had their own side plot. I can't say I had a favourite character as this wasn't a book I could immerse myself into, this was more just a casual read. I didn't appreciate this as much as I'd hoped, but I'm glad I read it.
I think I watched the TV miniseries with my Mum some years ago, so I loosely knew the story before opening the book. There is much going on in the book at any one time. Yes, there are rather predictable romances, but alongside that there are other storylines going on, ones that almost override the romance, which I think worked well.
I thought the characters were well fleshed out, and each had their own side plot. I can't say I had a favourite character as this wasn't a book I could immerse myself into, this was more just a casual read. I didn't appreciate this as much as I'd hoped, but I'm glad I read it.
July 1, 2020
Though this was a simple story, Ms. Cookson’s world-building, her main characters’ traits and the utter poverty of The Fifteen Streets engulfed me.
It was an honest romance between two people separated by money and class. And one falsehood that was meant to be used as a wedge. It was about two brothers during the Victorian era in the images of Cain and Abel with an emotional intensity of seemingly impossible dreams. The story also included religious conflict with gritty realism.
By the time I finished this narrative, I found myself happy to live in the present moment. And I promised to do my best not to take things for granted.
3.75 stars
It was an honest romance between two people separated by money and class. And one falsehood that was meant to be used as a wedge. It was about two brothers during the Victorian era in the images of Cain and Abel with an emotional intensity of seemingly impossible dreams. The story also included religious conflict with gritty realism.
By the time I finished this narrative, I found myself happy to live in the present moment. And I promised to do my best not to take things for granted.
3.75 stars
January 1, 2015
From IMDb:
In northern England around 1900, the worker John O'Brien lives near poverty in a small house in the worker's district. He falls in love with Mary, the teacher of his highly intelligent younger sister Kathy and daughter of a rich family. Their love is doomed by the social difference, but the vigorous Mary refuses to allow outer circumstances destroying their love.
A movie was made based on this book and it's available at YouTube.
4* Feathers in the Fire
5* Katie Mulholland
5* The Black Velvet Gown
5* The Rag Nymph
4* The Black Candle
3* Colour Blind
4* The Dwelling Place
4* The Glass Virgin
4* The Gambling Man
3* The Girl
4* The Maltese Angel
5* The Round Tower
3* The Cinder Path
4* The Fifteen Streets
The Mallen Trilogy:
4* The Mallen Streak
2* The Mallen Girl
3* The Mallen Litter
Tilly Trotter Trilogy:
4* Tilly Trotter
5* Tilly Trotter Wed
4 Tilly Trotter Widowed
TR Tilly Alone
Autobiography:
4* Our Kate
TR The Wingless Bird
TR The Silent Lady
TR The Moth
TR Dinner of Herbs
TR The Tide of Life
TR The Man Who Cried
In northern England around 1900, the worker John O'Brien lives near poverty in a small house in the worker's district. He falls in love with Mary, the teacher of his highly intelligent younger sister Kathy and daughter of a rich family. Their love is doomed by the social difference, but the vigorous Mary refuses to allow outer circumstances destroying their love.
A movie was made based on this book and it's available at YouTube.
4* Feathers in the Fire
5* Katie Mulholland
5* The Black Velvet Gown
5* The Rag Nymph
4* The Black Candle
3* Colour Blind
4* The Dwelling Place
4* The Glass Virgin
4* The Gambling Man
3* The Girl
4* The Maltese Angel
5* The Round Tower
3* The Cinder Path
4* The Fifteen Streets
The Mallen Trilogy:
4* The Mallen Streak
2* The Mallen Girl
3* The Mallen Litter
Tilly Trotter Trilogy:
4* Tilly Trotter
5* Tilly Trotter Wed
4 Tilly Trotter Widowed
TR Tilly Alone
Autobiography:
4* Our Kate
TR The Wingless Bird
TR The Silent Lady
TR The Moth
TR Dinner of Herbs
TR The Tide of Life
TR The Man Who Cried
July 18, 2021
I always fret when I write a review about what I consider to be a 5-star book. Will I do it justice? I stumbled on Catherine Cookson movies on Prime and was so moved by the story of the O’Briens that I decided to read the book. The Fifteen Streets is a realistic, unsentimental depiction of what happens to families living in dire poverty and the hopelessness that comes from unsteady, low-paying, back-breaking work that crush a man’s health and self-respect. The time period is early 1900s. Picture big Catholic families burdened with their faith and with little opportunity to improve their lot in life. It was both a Cain and Abel story that is tragic and depressing, but also a story of love and hope. A captivating story that moved my heart. Though some may consider this book a “romance”, I felt the story was more a historical novel that included one of the most touching love stories I’ve had the pleasure to read. Cookson is a fine writer and one who can keep a story moving at an exciting pace. She’s also skillful with dialogue, each character’s words giving dimension and texture to their personalities. It’s no wonder so many of her books have been made into movies and mini TV series.
January 4, 2018
Easy to read but very hard to put down. Storytelling at it's best.
May 14, 2025
An emotional, dramatic and heart breaking story.
The Fifteen Streets is a heart breaking, gut-churning, emotional, though ultimately happy Catholic-love story that crosses class divisions and set in Newcastle Upon Tyne in the early 20th century. Most of the characters are very likable, though the antagonist is loathsome, and the death of one character makes one emotional. I live in the Northeast of England, not far from Newcastle and The Fifteen Streets is a familiar setting. We are very fortunate to have such a genius writer as Catherine Cookson in the Northeast of England. I highly recommend The Fifteen Streets.
The Fifteen Streets is a heart breaking, gut-churning, emotional, though ultimately happy Catholic-love story that crosses class divisions and set in Newcastle Upon Tyne in the early 20th century. Most of the characters are very likable, though the antagonist is loathsome, and the death of one character makes one emotional. I live in the Northeast of England, not far from Newcastle and The Fifteen Streets is a familiar setting. We are very fortunate to have such a genius writer as Catherine Cookson in the Northeast of England. I highly recommend The Fifteen Streets.
December 9, 2015
This was my first read by Catherine Cookson, but I've watched almost all of the miniseries based on her novels, including the Fifteen Streets miniseries. I thought this book was pretty good and more or less what I expected. The story takes place in England, maybe 100 years ago or so. John is a young man from a very poor family who falls in love with Mary, a modern-minded young woman from a wealthy family. The class difference provides a big conflict, not to mention his very difficult family situation; he has several siblings, including some real troublemakers, and a difficult father, and many responsibilities as the oldest.
What I really like about Catherine Cookson is that while she writes these spectacular romances, the romance is never ALL that's going on in her stories. The romance only fills a small portion of the book, while most of it is dedicated to interactions within the families and between neighbors, etc. And yet, she makes her characters so interesting and likable that it's not like you're skimming the parts of the book that don't have the leads interacting, which I often do in less well-written romance novels where basically the romance is the only interesting part of the story and the other scenes just provide a skeleton for the romantic moments. However, in the end, I don't think of this book exactly as a romance novel; I think of it more as a historical drama with a strong romantic element.
It's interesting to me how some of my friends have received this book. I liked Mary a lot, and I had a lot of sympathy for John, but some of my friends have been annoyed by how it seemed that John was self-centered or didn't take Mary seriously. He just made decisions for the both of them in a high-handed sort of way. I was really surprised to hear this outlook. In my opinion, John was a wonderful person who was just gradually overwhelmed by a huge number of problems, and it wore him down over time. But for sure, if you prefer to read a story where the female lead is the one with the problems and the male lead is this perfect person who helps her through them, then this may not be for you.
What I really like about Catherine Cookson is that while she writes these spectacular romances, the romance is never ALL that's going on in her stories. The romance only fills a small portion of the book, while most of it is dedicated to interactions within the families and between neighbors, etc. And yet, she makes her characters so interesting and likable that it's not like you're skimming the parts of the book that don't have the leads interacting, which I often do in less well-written romance novels where basically the romance is the only interesting part of the story and the other scenes just provide a skeleton for the romantic moments. However, in the end, I don't think of this book exactly as a romance novel; I think of it more as a historical drama with a strong romantic element.
It's interesting to me how some of my friends have received this book. I liked Mary a lot, and I had a lot of sympathy for John, but some of my friends have been annoyed by how it seemed that John was self-centered or didn't take Mary seriously. He just made decisions for the both of them in a high-handed sort of way. I was really surprised to hear this outlook. In my opinion, John was a wonderful person who was just gradually overwhelmed by a huge number of problems, and it wore him down over time. But for sure, if you prefer to read a story where the female lead is the one with the problems and the male lead is this perfect person who helps her through them, then this may not be for you.
March 6, 2021
I'm reading for fun. This is not a book club read. It was a quick read. It was written in 1952. I really liked John, Katie, Mary, Christine, and Mary Ellen. They were good characters and you really had to feel for them. Talk about dirt poor - wow. And working so hard for so little and under extreme conditions. No clothes, no running water, little food to none, doing laundry by hand, washing up in a bucket. It makes you appreciate what you have. You also have two brothers that hate each other. A mother who gets pregnant 11 or 12 times (no birth control back then) and only 5 make it through birth. Also, religion is throughout the book. I did like the book because I liked many of the characters. There was really a lot to this book and I don't want to give it away. Love of siblings, caring about people, religion, and lost and true love and giving it up for true love. I'm glad I read the book.
October 14, 2018
This book is brilliant. I love this book. My favourite Catherine Cookson book by far. I love the characters, the story telling and how the hardship and reality of life back then cames out of the pages. A fantastic book.
The TV movie of 1989 is EXACTLY like the novel so well worth a watch.
The TV movie of 1989 is EXACTLY like the novel so well worth a watch.
August 28, 2025
First time author for me quite an emotional read about what happens in 1950s poverty and religion
February 16, 2013
My most favourite Catherine Cookson book - the Kindle Edition has a different cover. Plain purple with the head and shoulders of Catherine Cookson pictured on it.
Poor mean streets nicknamed "The Fifteen Streets".
A family with two older sons - one good and one a baddie with a sick father and a mother who was the centre of the family and younger siblings.
The goodie falls in love with the school teacher (daughter of a wealthy man) of his younger sister. The baddie chasing everything in skirts.
The goodie brother longs to marry and despite promotion is tied back by his responsibility of being the main bread winner.
A family of Spiritualists move in next door and the father of that family assists the mother next door with a difficult childbirth. The daughter of the Spiritualist is chased by the baddie son from next door so the family next door encourage their daughter to stay with her when her own older brother is around.
The young daughters of the two neighbours go to play in a small boat which is caught by the tide and are both lost, drowned. The baddie brother had had a hand in this.
The mother prays for her daughter in church and says she will give anything to know her daughter is alright. She hears her daughter's voice.
In the mean time the baddie brother (played by Sean Bean in the TV film) we find has seduced a girl who lives on their street, a girl with what we call learning difficulties now. The girl is pregnant and lies so every one believes the goodie brother is the guilty one.
I am not saying anymore only that the plot becomes exciting and even if you are not a Catherine Cookson fan - I don't like all her books - this is a really good story.
The film of the book is a favourite of mine too. (same title). I have it in a box set of Cookson dvd films and a freebie dvd kept in case one is damaged.
Poor mean streets nicknamed "The Fifteen Streets".
A family with two older sons - one good and one a baddie with a sick father and a mother who was the centre of the family and younger siblings.
The goodie falls in love with the school teacher (daughter of a wealthy man) of his younger sister. The baddie chasing everything in skirts.
The goodie brother longs to marry and despite promotion is tied back by his responsibility of being the main bread winner.
A family of Spiritualists move in next door and the father of that family assists the mother next door with a difficult childbirth. The daughter of the Spiritualist is chased by the baddie son from next door so the family next door encourage their daughter to stay with her when her own older brother is around.
The young daughters of the two neighbours go to play in a small boat which is caught by the tide and are both lost, drowned. The baddie brother had had a hand in this.
The mother prays for her daughter in church and says she will give anything to know her daughter is alright. She hears her daughter's voice.
In the mean time the baddie brother (played by Sean Bean in the TV film) we find has seduced a girl who lives on their street, a girl with what we call learning difficulties now. The girl is pregnant and lies so every one believes the goodie brother is the guilty one.
I am not saying anymore only that the plot becomes exciting and even if you are not a Catherine Cookson fan - I don't like all her books - this is a really good story.
The film of the book is a favourite of mine too. (same title). I have it in a box set of Cookson dvd films and a freebie dvd kept in case one is damaged.
July 2, 2024
One of my absolute favourites.
September 2, 2011
I have to admit i saw the film whilst on holiday, and i loved it! So there was no doubt in my mind i would love the book! And i did it had me in tears even though i knew what was going to happen. It's alot darker than the film and i think that makes the ending more triumphant. The characters are described in perfect detail that you really can picture them. It is a little far fetched and in the reality of things i doubt that the ending would be so merry, but i love this book and the story is as old as time. Well done Catherine Cookson i would recommend it to all who love a happy ending and struggle for it.
July 11, 2009
I have read most of Catherin Cookson's writings and am always captivated by the story and by the characters. She is one of my all-time favorite authors.
April 11, 2016
This was her first book and it was a joy, Catherine Cookson only got better.
May 14, 2018
Amazing!
Just finished this book, my first Catherine Cookson novel, I couldn't put it down, loved it from beginning to end.
Just finished this book, my first Catherine Cookson novel, I couldn't put it down, loved it from beginning to end.
July 28, 2019
My favourite of all of Cookson's books. Will write a long love letter to this book, one day.
January 2, 2024
A beautiful story which makes you feel like you really are back in time, hardships but love, family, beautiful bonds a romance and loss. This book has it all and I devoured in 2 days !!
December 1, 2023
My first Catherine Cookson book and I loved it. I bought this book as I watched the film on tv and enjoyed the characters.
I’m glad I left it so long to read the book as I had forgotten what happened, I remembered something bad happened but couldn’t remember what and I had forgotten how it all wrapped up in the end so that was a nice surprise!
I might add a few more to my list 😁 my mum is a Geordie and loves Catherine Cookson so she’ll be happy I’m finally taking an interest in this author
I’m glad I left it so long to read the book as I had forgotten what happened, I remembered something bad happened but couldn’t remember what and I had forgotten how it all wrapped up in the end so that was a nice surprise!
I might add a few more to my list 😁 my mum is a Geordie and loves Catherine Cookson so she’ll be happy I’m finally taking an interest in this author
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2020
I read this during quiet bits at work because my best friend’s mum recommended it to me (shout out to Jill) and I really liked it but I hated the ending, an anti climax! I don’t really know what I wanted to happen but I felt like it was too neat. Maybe he should’ve killed his brother. Who knows! I watched the adaptation of it and Sean Bean was very evil.
December 25, 2023
Another great book! Full of struggles, triumphs, faith and hope. Had me crying, laughing, sighing and searching my own heart. One thing about this author's books, of the few that I have read, I have a hard time to understand what year the story is meant to take place. Sometimes the cover of the book is a clue. But ultimately Catherine Cookson's stories are timeless.
August 27, 2019
This is a doozy. I wasn't familiar with this "topic" and found it very interesting and slightly sad, but in a good way. It is very much worth a person's time. I just find CC amazing for how she can get a story out and a good one and a real one. That's what I love-she was real!
February 3, 2020
Another great book from Catherine Cookson
John O’Brian lives in the Fifteen Streets he meets a teacher but he he is accused of getting a young girl pregnant
This is gritty about poverty the have and have nots told in the great way Catherine Cookson does
John O’Brian lives in the Fifteen Streets he meets a teacher but he he is accused of getting a young girl pregnant
This is gritty about poverty the have and have nots told in the great way Catherine Cookson does
January 18, 2021
A lovely read set in northern England about 1900. It's a love story between a poor man and a moderately wealthy schoolteacher. He lives in 'The Fifteen Streets' - the ghetto of that time and she lives with her parents - her father owns the shipyard where 'he' works.
August 11, 2023
Despite the cover that shows here this was a great book. The characters were well developed and I was engaged almost immediately. I picked it up at a 'lending library box' by my cabin and glad I did. Great choice for a summer read!
August 27, 2018
Fantastic writing by Cookson, but rather sad ending.
November 24, 2018
Another Cookson classic, you can't go wrong.
November 29, 2019
Another fantastic book from the north east. Gripped from start to finish.
January 8, 2020
Love it!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews