Maggie Rowan

by Catherine Cookson

Book by Catherine Cookson

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, British Literature

339 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1954

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful story that I read some time ago. Very well written book that I really enjoyed.

[Bodosika Bodosika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just okay.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kitchen sink soap opera that is almost comic in its stupidity, but the attitudes are "dead in period". Set in a coal mining town in northern England in the years around World War II, it concerns the story of two families, as common as muck, that live in the slum districts.

The sons of the family are coalminers, who treat their spouses mean and keep them keen, giving them a regular slap around every Friday night. Maggie marries a hunchback of one of the familes as she is apparently too ugly for a normal bloke (not much of a loss considering the brainless morons in the town) – the idea of looking further than the house next door never occurs to her.

Near the novel's end, her husband threatens to walk out on her and leave her destitute, even though he owns a now worthless scrap business (now the war is over), and she owns at least four houses and a laundry easily converted to drycleaning. A doctor orders her son to leave her, even though they had no such powers.

[Sverre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed a number of Cookson’s novels placed in the northeast of England in the 1930s. This one revolves around two extended families, the Rowans and the Taggarts, who are neighbours. Most of the many sons, as well as their fathers, work down in the dark coal pits in which collapses and explosions are hovering over their daily existence. I won’t get into describing the many characters but in this work Cookson delighted in giving her readers great contrasts of personalities whose lives intersect on a number of levels, and change even up to the climatic ending. In line with the hopelessness Cookson painted, most of this story is depressing. But some of these characters are determined to have their own way seeking a life of financial security, social status and heartfelt love no matter what the odds against them and the persistent disapproval of their kindred. Cookson wove a complex tale that will impress modern readers as it did those from two generations ago.

[Bookish Enchantment (Katherine Quirke) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of hardship, love and morals.

Catherine Cookson takes the reader through the hardships of war, and peace time in the 1930's. The drama's of love and life are still no different today than what they were then.

Gossip, do-gooders and the pathetic over-bearing love of a mother.

A soap opera in a very compelling book.

[Sammi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Went into this book not really expecting to like it that much, but was actually surprised!

Firstly, I found it quite difficult at the start to figure out who all the names belonged too, and some of them didn't even matter, but I figured it out pretty quickly. There was some unexpected twists in this, and no character story really went how i thought it would?? Which was interesting, as it became less obvious what would happen as the story went on. Thought quite a lot happened in this book as well considering how short it is! A downside for me though is that some of the stories don't really 'wrap up', but I don't think they're meant to, which is fine, I just thought a few more things could have been explained, such as with Stephen, and how the parents of the Taggart family sort of just... disappeared and we don't really hear of them again?

I also find it's nice to read something from the area I'm from, plus I'm a fan of this time era and Catherine Cookson obviously knows a lot about it, so it was a nice read overall!

[Luka Onee-san · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wholesome story. You can feel for every character in the book. They are all relatable to. One thing really bothered me though. A story about child not liking his mother. There was this part where an 8 year old was in state of shock. In that state survival instincts turn on and mind shuts down. So he would've been running to his mom. Without thinking. But he wasn't. This part was purely fictional and I was really mad. Yet, somehow, the final pages of the book got me crying like a baby. The story was not sad. It was sweet and full of love.
If you ever come across Catherine's works, read a book or two.

[Cheryll · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Catherine Cookson books but this was not one of her best. Although it was a good story I think it should have stuck more with Maggie (the main character). It went off in tangents about the other members of the family too often and I got confused who belonged to which family!

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather depressing.

[Shaista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping. I like her books. Stories of common people, of working class. Well written.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read set in durham in the mining times, with loads of action and brilliant characters. Another great book.

[Lynn Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Published in 1950s. It is the story of two extended families the Rowans and the Taggarts. Cookson excellently describes the hardships of life in a Durham mining village through the hardships of war, and peace time in the 1930's and 1940s.
Synopsis:
Born and raised in poverty, Maggie Rowan vowed that she would escape her shabby surroundings. Her consuming jealousy at her sister's good fortune in marrying a long established family friend. It was only when Maggie reached out for the love she so desperately needed that she realized how much she had sacrificed for ambition.

[Barbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderful book as always.

Back Cover Blurb:
Describing the worries and hardships of life in a Durham mining village, this book features Maggie Rowan's consuming jealousy at her sister's good fortune in marrying a long established family friend. Beneath Maggie's forbidding exterior is a desire to be loved.

[Lili · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Janet Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

No memory of it now of course but in my diary I have commented 'gripped' so like all her early works it must have been an excellent read. Gritty and real... too gritty sometimes. Hard to take, she described how it used to be perfectly.

[Rachel (Sfogs) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok though not a happy story.

[Joan Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

love Catherine's books this one didn't disappoint set in early 1940's gave a bit of insight to what the miners had to put up with.