The Hatmaker’s Gift

by Catherine Cookson

Willington Place, London, 1879.

In London's bustling streets, business is booming for Mabel Arkwright's hat shop. But as her health declines, she must entrust Emily Pearson, her capable and beloved employee, with more responsibility.

After Mabel's death, Emily is stunned not only to inherit a completely unique broad-brimmed straw hat, but also the shop. But it isn't long before the extra work leaves Emily on the brink of exhaustion. Resolving to get some rest, she takes a trip to the south of France.

There, she meets the stylish and enigmatic Paul Anderson Steerman who is instantly captivated by Emily's beautiful straw hat and sweeps her off her feet. But when they return to England to start their life together, it soon becomes clear that Paul isn't the man he claims to be. Can Emily free herself from his clutches or is it too late...?

----------------

From bestselling saga author Catherine Cookson, this forgotten classic is an epic tale of friendship, love and betrayal. If you like Dilly Court, Katie Flynn or Donna Douglas, you'll love Catherine Cookson.

Previously published as The Golden Straw

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Historical, France, British Literature, Historical Romance

608 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

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

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

She had always wanted to be needed. It seemed to be the most important thing in life, greater even than wanting to be loved. When you were needed you were giving of yourself, whereas wanting to be loved, you were taking. Could there be a combination of the two? Her mind told her that would be too much to ask; such partnerships rarely came about. (PG 56)

I LOVE multi-generational stories and this one was no different. I really enjoyed it through and through. I will say the tone from beginning to end changed by the end. I thought Emily started out strong and snarky but by the end I came to dislike her immensely. This story is the "sins of the mother" type of book. For being so smart Emily just does the damnedest things and then never really admits fault and starts living in a a world made of her own imaginings. I know people with this personality and it is a trigger for me, makes me so mad.

Speaking of triggers there were a few that should be pointed out. They fit the story line so I didn't get bothered by it being in there and it was done without going into details. TW's include::: Rape, incest, domestic abuse, cheating, alcohol abuse, suicide::: to name a few off the top of my head.

These things happen in the best families and I enjoyed Catherine Cookson's storytelling. I will look into more of her books as I feel they are tasteful and these are the kinds of books that grab my attention.

And please avoid stupid golden straw hats. They have a hex on them where they will make you do stupid things. *eye roll*

[Shirley Revill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed every moment reading this book. You just can't beat a good Catherine Cookson.

[Bryan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book to my wife whilst she was unwell so I think my enoblement should be in the post. It is possibly the most pointless and dull book I have ever read. It endeavours to tell a story about the characters who come into contact with a straw hat but the characters are as dull as magnolia paint on wood chipped wallpaper. I struggled to get through it as it was slower than an arthritic sloth on a hot day; in fact I didn't finish it and I got no complaint from my wife either, strange , as you would think a book about a straw hat would be gripping stuff.

[Martha]

Nothing like taking the main character and turning her into a judgy old granny in the end. And making her seem unreasonable because she disapproves of incest... I dunno. I usually enjoy Cookson and her sprawling takes on class, but couldn't understand why she would introduce this character only to have her change drastically without taking us along for that transformation. And then making that main character a minor antagonist to a whole new cast of characters? Also why does she want us to root for half-siblings getting married? I suppose there are people who find themselves in that situation and she feels society should accept it? At least they were responsible about offspring. Just sort of a weird book.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the first half of this book. However, the author uses a lot of incest and gay/lesbian themes for the second half of this book. It was tastefully handled but I felt like it didn't add to the story at all. I would have loved a continuation of the lives of the two characters she starts with instead of their children.

[Annie Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite of CC. The main character isn't likeable, but extremely selfish her whole life. I didn't enjoy the direction this took and it was so long, I felt like I spent too long with this family. Still finished it, which is more than I can say of other authors I don't enjoy as much as CC.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Multi-generation story of an English family rocked by promiscuity. It is hard to know which characters to sympathize with.

[Ephie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the first half of the book but the second half was not in keeping with the characters, style, etc.

My first book by Catherine Cookson and must admit it's put me off reading more by her...

[Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Catherine Cookson and her descriptions of North East life. This is another good story by her and enjoyed reading it.

[Steve Shilstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb melodramatic historical fiction. Great plot structure with plenty of zigs becoming zags and zags returning to zigs.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A straw hat, a large brimmed straw hat dyed in a mixture of colors to produce the shade of gold, was given to Emily Pearson by her friend and employer, Mabel Arkwright, a milliner. The Golden Straw was the name of the milliner's shop and eventually Emily became owner of the shop after the death of Ms. Arkwright.

Emily had taken care of Mabel up until her death. She was so exhausted from the work in the shop as well as taking care of her friend. She all but collapsed. A suggestion made a long while ago by Mabel to visit the hotel in the South of France was just what Emily needed. So off she went with her maid, Alice. There she met Paul Anderson Steerman who became totally enamored with her. Emily was blinded by such attention. She did come to find that he was married with children however. He wanted to pursue her even after she went back home to London. Why she let him into her life, I don't know. It was an utter mistake. She got herself pregnant which he didn't want. He would help her get "rid" of the baby. No, she was going to have it. She didn't want him coming round any more, but he wouldn't listen. Dr. Steve Montane was her doctor and he was doing all he could for Emily as he was in love with her. Emily lost the baby and was very distraught. Only Paul, after becoming inebriated, snuck into her place again after finding the door unlocked and raped her. Screaming for Alice, Paul was pushed off Emily and told to leave in no uncertain terms. "Must learn to keep the doors locked". The cook, after drinking herself into a stupor, forgot to lock the door. Emily tried suicide. Dr. Montane was called in to help Emily. That was how Emily realized she was in love with the wrong man. She eventually married Steve and they had twins.

So much happens in the life of Emily and Steve. A lot of lives are shattered when certain information is let out. It will influence her children and then her grandchildren too. It was a sordid mess that will work it's way out?

A very enjoyable read.

[Bamboozlepig · Rating 1 out of 5]

It doesn't bode well when the hat is the most interesting character in the book. Right away it felt like the story was starting in the middle of the narrative and within a chapter, the timeline jumped a span of two years. It also seemed to assume the reader would automatically know who the characters were without revealing the necessary background of them. Except for the lady (Mabel Arkwright) who owned the hat shop in the first place, she revealed her background to Emily in one of the biggest info dumps I've seen in a long time.

The dialogue was inane at times and sounded like it'd been written by a fifth grader instead of an adult female. I noped it out of there when the second chapter revealed a two-year gap in the timeline. IMO, it'd been better served if Cookson had opened with Arkwright turning the millinery shop over to Emily due to her health problems and in the process of that turnover, they discover the "golden straw" hat that captures Emily's imagination.

[Cara Byrne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a story written in 3 parts. The first two parts I really enjoyed but then, throughout the 3rd part I'm thinking, why bother writing all this?! It didn't seem to match with the other two parts and it felt like somebody else took over from Catherine Cookson to write that last part. I had just over 40 pages left to read but lost my patience with it and skipped to the epilogue just to conclude what had happened and from what I could gather....not a lot!

[Barbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. A good read of hers.

Back Cover Blurb:
This book portrays a rich vein of English life from the heyday of the Victorian era to the stormy middle years of the 20th century. It all began with a large, broad-brimmed straw hat, presented to Emily Pearson by her long-time friend and employer, Mabel Arkwright.

[Ish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reads like a soap opera, and I was ready to give it a lower rating, until I read about Cookson's life (an illegitimate child raised by her grandparents and believing her mother was her sister), and suddenly the issues she raises in this book are legitimate, and actually very thought provoking.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I typically find an author and then read as many of his/her books as I can. This is my favorite from this author.

[Janet Randon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one yet again.

[Salena R.s. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my absolute favorite books. A most read!! One of the only books that I am willing to re-read.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

"It all began with a straw hat. A large broad-brimmed hat, dyed in an elusive mixture of colors to produce a distinctive shade of pale gold, it was presented to Emily Pearson by her longtime friend and employer Mabel Arkwright, a milliner with a little store in the West End of London. And Emily owed Mrs. Arkwright more than just The Golden Straw -- eventually the business itself, because her friend had come to rely on Emily more and more as time went by.

"After Mrs. Arkwright's death, Emily, exhausted by the extra work that had fallen upon her shoulders and exasperated by Dr. Steve Montane, her employer's young and plain-spoken physician, took herself off to the South of France to stay at a hotel that had been warmly recommended by Mrs. Arkwright. It was now 1880, and many fashionable guests were staying at the hotel in Nice, among them Paul Anderson Steerman. It was from the balcony of his room that he first noticed The Golden Straw, worn by Emily as she arrived from England. But although it was the hat that first held his attention, his admiring gaze quickly turned to Emily herself, and throughout the time of his stay he paid her unceasing attention.

"But Paul Anderson Steerman was not all he seemed to be, and he was to bring nothing but disgrace and tragedy to Emily, for the traumatic months following her return to England were but a prelude to a series of events that would influence the destiny not only of her5 children but grandchildren too, as the new century dawned, the First World War came and went, and she was still alive to reflect on all that had resulted from the gift of the hat."
~~front flap

I didn't expect to like this book -- it's not my usual style of read. But I was in a rehab facility after an emergency operation, bored out of my skull, and desperate for something to read. So I climbed on in, and while it didn't grab me by the lapels at first, I soon became "hooked" on the story: was the deserving but eccentric guy going to get the walled-up and control freak girl so they could live happily ever after? No spoilers here, but I will say the book went on through two more generations and their trials, tribulations and triumphs. I can see why the author is so very popular!

[Shirley Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an epic! Almost 500 pages of a wonderfully written story of a dysfunctional family, full of complicated lives intertwining in an almost unbelievable manner which draws you in in a most compelling fashion.

I was hooked from the start with this enthralling masterpiece, one of Catherine Cookson's finest pieces of work in my opinion. I went through so many emotions as I read about the complications of the lives of the characters especially with frustration at Emily's behaviour in the early part and also with much amusement at the sarcastic banter which Catherine seems to favour in her characters. She seems to have had a knack at creating lively interactions which is extremely evident in this book.

I would certainly recommend.

[Farzana · Rating 3 out of 5]

just got through this book and its my first fiction book in the last few years. i found the first half really compelling with the right formula of personalities and plot. Emily Pearsons character is constructed very well and keeps the read gripping. the jumping of timeline in the first half was effectively done. But its done multiple times later in the book along with setting stage for too many new characters ,which made me put the book down.
i did manage to get to the end with a dash of disappointment .
and why does Emily say what she says about Steve Montane in the epilogue....

[Kaytlynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a brilliant read. It rears so many emotions happy and sad even angry at times although, I personally think by the end it stray quite far from the original story and you begin to miss the old characters as well as see them in a different light so to speak.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked how this book followed the impact of decisions made in the past on their children and grandchildren later on. Some may find elements of this story shocking but all this happens because of a hat!

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

A big fat MEH with an accompanying eye roll.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy CC, but I wouldn't say this is as memorable. Just fine. Not as earth moving for me as a few other favorites are by her.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

***4***

[Maria Del · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incoherente

El libro podría haber terminado en la mitad, hasta la destruccion del sombrero. Hasta ahí disfruté, eso y el epílogo que fue salvador.

[Happpy Flower · Rating 4 out of 5]

608 pages: my kind of novel. I enjoyed the tensions in parts 1 and 2, but part 3 seemed like a postscript.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

this one wasn't so bad as the others that I have read this library haul...

[Cassandra Scruton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally like Catherine Cookson but there are some even darker than usual themes in this book that took me rather by surprise.