The Maltese Angel

by Catherine Cookson

Ward Gibson knew what was expected of him by the village folk, and especially by the Mason family, whose daughter Daisy he had known all his life. But then, in a single week, his whole world had been turned upside down by a dancer, Stephanie McQueen, who seemed to float across the stage of the Empire Music Hall where she was appearing as The Maltese Angel. To his amazement, the attraction was mutual, and after a whirlwind courtship she agreed to marry him.

But a scorpion had already begun to emerge from beneath the stone of the local community, who considered that Ward had betrayed their expectations, and had led on and cruelly deserted Daisy. There followed a series of reprisals on his family, one of them serious enough to cause him to exact a terrible revenge; and these events would twist and turn the course of many lives through Ward's own and succeeding generations.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Historical, Adult Fiction

528 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

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

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers the period 18886 to 1921, describing the Gibson’s family saga.

The plot describes the lives of three generations by showing how people lived by the end of 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century with a special emphasis on World War I.

“The Maltese Angel”, who gives the tittle to this book, is a young dancer by who the farmer Ward Gibson fall in love, even if he had promised to marry a young woman from outside the village - Daisy Mason.

Even if the author makes use of a lot a revenge feelings, obsession, rape and a lot of other bad feelings, this book is another great masterpiece written by dame Cookson.

In the second part of the book, the author shows how the Great War have made deep physical and mental scars on the British soldiers and how the local population managed to survive with the Army camping in their house.

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

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 Fifteen Streets
TR The Cinder Path
TR The Wingless Bird
TR The Round Tower
TR The Silent Lady

[Shirley Revill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an awful lot of Catherine Cookson books back in the day and I enjoyed each and every one.
Storytelling at it's best. Recommended.

[Kacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Someone recommended the author and i tried this book first. Liked this lot!

[Sandra Sparkler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read many of Catherine Cookson's books, including this one, many moons ago and loved every one of them!

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

workaday mp3

Read By: Patricia Jones

Running Time: 16:45

Description

Catherine Cookson is at her towering best in this immensely powerful and enthralling novel which spans more than three decades, from the 1880s through to the First World War and beyond, as it tells the story of Ward Gibson, his family and those whose destiny is influenced by his marriage to Stephanie McQueen. Rich in characterisation and reflecting the wider consequences of a turbulent historical era's effect on the aspirations, fears and follies of individuals, it reaffirms the author's standing as the best-loved and most widely read of today's storytellers.

[Barbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Back Cover Blurb:
The year is 1886, and Ward Gibson is a prosperous young farmer who becomes fascinated by Stephanie McQueen, a dancer. His marriage to her divides his home village, as he was expected to marry a local girl, and there follows a series of attacks on his farm, culminating in Stephanie's murder.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much tragedy befalls the characters that, despite Cookson's gifts as a writer, I gave up reading halfway through the story (at the rape scene). It's too bad, because at the beginning I really thought I would enjoy it. But it was all just too unrelentingly depressing for me.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book by Catherine Cookson, another page turner.

[Michele · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had such a spirit of meanness I just couldn’t finish.

[Jol Rose Maughan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My book was called Voice of an Angel?? I thought because it starts with a character from the theatre that it might have been about a singer?

Only gave 4 stars not just for this but generally I found it to be very dark and depressing with one tragedy on top of another and immense cruelty all set in a very violent village.

[Elaine Vinish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keeping your head up in bad times.


Enjoy the way C C writes.always keeping you wondering.
I don't like the way she drags some parts of the story out. To the point I just want to say oh for goodness sake get on with it.

[Pattie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Book Ever! I really enjoyed this one. Couldn't put it down! It covers such a wide range of topics....family dynamics, war, mental health, small town life....just to mention a few. I HIGHLY recommend this book and author.

[Cheryll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent novel from Catherine Cookson. Loved it!

[Riena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haven’t read a Catherine Cookson book I didn’t like

[Burcu Karatas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, could not drop it but it is dark and heavy. This book requires reading something sweet and happy beforehand and afterwards.

[Sandra Huff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has an interesting story but is on the dark side.

[Anna Hiltz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved all Catherine Cookson books I have ever read but I did not enjoy this one as much. I found the story to be depressing and rather long.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The book's titles, the original and rename, don't make sense since the story has few angel or maltese references and no singing. The storytelling contained absorbing and interesting conflicts, although the characters were sometimes oddly inconsistent. The situations leading to mental illness in multiple characters were curious since the author seemed rather obsessed with the subject. I presume that was because of Cookson's own breakdown. I found Janie's depiction later in the story to be inspiring. She was an individual with many disadvantages but did not succumb to self-pity. She accepted responsibilities and worked with what she had. With hard work and self-respect, she overcame the prejudices toward her. Most of my sympathies went toward Aunt Jessie. She would logically have been justified to be emotionally unbalanced, having lived with unending frustrations and unhappy problems that were not her fault. She was empathetic, helped everybody out, and always tried to do the right thing. Despite her efforts, she was taken for granted and negatively judged even by the "nice" people. Perhaps the "mistakes" she made in raising Janie were what produced a superior person. Cookson could have written Jessie's situation better. The scenes of coping during WWI were interesting. The war years scenarios were well described without getting too much in the weeds.

[Lynn Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

More recently published as Voice of an Angel. An engrossing tale and one of my favourite novels.
Synopsis:
Ward Gibson knew what was expected of him by the village folk, and especially by the Mason family, whose daughter Daisy he had known all his life. But then, in a single week, his whole world had been turned upside down by a dancer, Stephanie McQueen, who seemed to float across the stage of the Empire Music Hall where she was appearing as The Maltese Angel. To his amazement, the attraction was mutual, and after a whirlwind courtship she agreed to marry him.

But a scorpion had already begun to emerge from beneath the stone of the local community, who considered that Ward had betrayed their expectations, and had led on and cruelly deserted Daisy. There followed a series of reprisals on his family, one of them serious enough to cause him to exact a terrible revenge; and these events would twist and turn the course of many lives through Ward's own and succeeding generations.

[Redfox5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would never have picked this book up in a book shop. I'm one of those shallow judge by the cover types when it comes to buying a book. However if I'm given books, I will read them. Most of the time I'm glad of this. This, was a glad time. I loved the Maltese Angel. A real page turner, well up until the rape scene. Then the book started slideing somewhat but not enough for it to be awful. Just wasn't as good as the first half. How pathetic for a village to hold a grudge for Ward just becuase he wanted to marry a woman he loved instead of the one they had already deemed suitable. And how awful his life turned out to be because of it. This is the second book by Cookson I've read. Still not something I'd actively go out and buy, but books I would be excited to read if I was given them.

[NorikoY · Rating 5 out of 5]

I understand Ward and Gerald are both good men, but some misfortunes, turning wrong corners, they ended in such a way, and if things were different, they would have been very respectable men. This book makes me think of how decision makings are important, and your life can easily turned upside down.
Upon the whole, the story was very interesting to me. I don’t think its conclusion was very good, but that’s also life too. So, I like this story.

[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.

[Partridge Public]

Cookson, Catherine

[Pauline]

I own this book.

[Roscella Beck · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not a happy book. It was a long saga and so many bad things happened I felt sadness all through the book. I read it all as it was well written - but like I said it was not a happy book.

[Doris Ennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read many of Catherine Cookson's books and enjoy them for the picture of England and society so many years ago. They are an easy read, different and enlightening.

[Temperance Winfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vintage England. Romance. Turmoil. Simple yet complex. Fantastic.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the the book though it got a bit predictable towards the end.

[Rachel Adrianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe it was just the wrong time for me to delve back into Cookson, but this seemed thoroughly predictable, even though the characters were lovely as always.

[Dpic]

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