Thursday Friend

by Catherine Cookson

On the face of it, Hannah and Humphrey Drayton were happily married. But after years of tyranny and loneliness, Hannah could no longer bear the stuffy City broker. The only relief she had was every Thursday evening, when Humphrey played bridge, and at the weekends, which he told her he spent with elderly relatives. In despa

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Audiobook, Novels, Historical Fiction

380 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

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 5 out of 5]

I read this book some years ago and I decided to listen to the audiobook version of the book.
It was absolutely wonderful and I will definitely be looking for more Catherine Cookson audiobooks in the future. It was absolutely wonderful to rekindle old memories of a much loved story. The narration was wonderful and really made the book come to life. Highly recommended.

[Noella · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 sterren omdat het boek zo vlot las. Voor het verhaal zou ik 3 sterren gegeven hebben. Eigenlijk vind ik dat het er allemaal wat te dik op ligt, en ik ergerde me vooral aan de vele herhalingen. Bv. er gebeurt iets in het leven van Hannah, wat beschreven wordt, dan vertelt ze het aan haar zus, en wordt het herhaald, en daarna vertelt ze het aan haar vriend, en wordt het nog eens herhaald.
En als Hannah een nieuwe outfit koopt met haar eigen verdiende geld, wordt dit uitgebreid beschreven, en dat de verkoopster haar prijst met haar elegantie; als Hannah de winkel verlaat, wordt ze nagekeken (omdat ze er zo goed uitziet); haar vriend herkent haar bijna niet als hij haar ontmoet op het station, zo verbluft is hij over wat de nieuwe outfit doet voor haar schoonheid, en ga zo maar door. Zelfs een hele tijd later, als ze bij haar schoonmoeder op bezoek gaat, laat die zich ontvallen dat het te zien is dat ze een smaakvolle, niet goedkope outfit draagt. Echt wel overdreven naar mijn mening.
Het verhaal zelf heeft zoals te verwachten was een happy end, met nog enkele dramatische voorvallen tegen het einde.

[Julie Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anothor good read from this author who always understands the inner workings of human behavior. This time it focuses on an unhappy woman whose guilt tries to stop her from changing her life.

A great cast of realistic characters - some good some not so good - where the author does a fabulous job of setting the perfect scenes of realism from many angles...romantic to insanity.

I don't give spoilers but will say that this is a more modern read than some of her work and yet the motivations within a realistic and somewhat suspenseful plot are insightful and satisfying.

A well written and very good story.

[Herbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mijn boek voor on the road zoals ik het noem dus in de wachtzaal bij de dokter, op restaurant en zoveel andere gelegenheden. Het is een goed boek niet super spannend maar met een leuk verhaal. Het soort van op het einde is alles goed verhaal. Daarvoor gebruik ik het ook om telkens korte stukken te lezen.

[Christine Goodnough · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll confess that I did some skipping because of limited time, but I found this a captivating story, definitely well written.
Hanna, a young married woman, writes and illustrates a children's book to occupy herself during her long weekends alone, while her husband is looking after an elderly couple. One day she takes it to an eccentric publisher. This leads to an intriguing friendship with the assistant, David, who quickly becomes more than a friend.
I can't really "love"a story about an adulterous situation but, while her husband Humphrey treats her well and supplies her basic needs, he clearly isn't interested in her. His lack of affection and his many absences leave a huge vacuum in her life that David fills so refreshingly. But now, how will she deal with this strange triangle? And the plot thickens, with various intriguing twists and turns.

[Linda Cooper-Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one of Catherine Cookson’s Masterpieces

I haven’t read all of Catherine’s books, but’s each one I’ve read is moving and full of people I feel I’ve gotten to know. It feels like I became a part of their world. This book is different from the others. It doesn't span generations, but it feels as though it’s been a lifetime, because so much happens to David and Hannah and the people they love. It’s wonderful, and I most definitely recommend it to everyone.

[Susan Royston · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Surprise for You

I have read nearly all of Catherine Cookson's books, but this was just what I needed. A modern story with, love, hate, madness , fulfill!ent and second chances. So many great characters in this book that I can't name them all, but you will enjoy every twist and path the story takes

[Miep · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writting was a bit odd. It was hard to follow the dialoges sometimes. But the story was nice enough to read on a rainy day :)

[Cheryll · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! Didn't want to put it down! I lived the story! Great characters, excellent plot. Once again Catherine Cookson has delivered!

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of my favorite Cookson books.Took me a little bit to get into it,but did have a good twist in it.

[Leonie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light read

[Vicks]

As good as ever. Quite liked the change to a more modern age book. Loved the characters and the storyline.

[Helen Geng · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read February 2025

[Monica Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

[Lynn Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite stories by Catherine Cookson, likeable and sympathetic characters apart from the husband Humphrey! I loved it.
SYNOPSIS:
Hannah and Humphrey Drayton were regarded by all who knew them as the perfect married couple. However, Hannah soon came to realise that this stuffy, City broker was stifling her with his insistence that she should always comply with his wishes. The only relief she had from his tyranny was his absence on Thursday evenings, when he played bridge with a group of acquaintances, and at weekends, which he spent with an elderly couple who regarded him as the son they had never had.
In despair, and despite her husband's ridicule, Hannah took refuge in her writing, and it was the completion of a book for children and an advertisement in the local newspaper that took her to the office of a publisher, a visit that was to change her life. There she was to meet David Craventon, an assistant to the publisher, and a man she was soon to think of as her Thursday friend. Taking advantage of Humphrey's absences, she and David would meet and talk, visit the theatre and the cinema - activities she had never enjoyed with her husband. He, of course, knew nothing of Hannah's 'other life', being preoccupied with protecting what he imagined were his future interests. But Humphrey had his own secrets; and when events occurred that he could not control, the outcome for his ambitions was entirely unexpected. This event destroys at a stroke all of his prospects. The only relief Hannah has from her husband's tyrannical company is his absence on a Thursday evening and once he finds out about her "other life" he plans a bitter retaliation for what he regarded as his wife's betrayal.

As for Hannah, her Thursday friend had become the saviour of her very existence - but would he manage to resolve his own not inconsiderable personal difficulties and offer Hannah the happiness she craved?

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book didn't start out all that bad. I felt sympathy for Hannah due to the way her husband treated her, it was a delight to see her come closer to her dream of publishing a book, and if she happened to find a nice man along the way, well — good for her.

What I don't like is the infidelity. I thought there would be a lot more of Hannah and David getting to know each other before they had sex, but apparently not. They jumped almost straight into having an affair. Now, no matter how horrible Hannah's husband is, infidelity is wrong. I can't support it. And the fact that everyone in Hannah's surroundings DID felt kind of strange. They even had the nerve to question David about his morals and motives when Hannah is the one cheating. I think her morals should also be called into question.

On top of that, the writing it terrible. There was a lot of repetition, characters flipped back and forth between outrageous moods in the middle of scenes, and some concepts were just odd. Like the fact that Hannah keeps talking to some sort of inner voice? And argued with it when she tried to make decisions. I know this is a concept that is sometimes used, but I am not a fan. It just made it all feel so silly and overdramatic.

I didn't end up finishing this book because it annoyed me too much. The plot was rushed, the pacing was off, and the relationships between the characters felt strange. I just didn't like it, at all.

[Mookie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5. I do think I will actually read this book again one day, because there were elements to it that I liked but cannot recall right now. I think I enjoyed the twist, although how Hannah never guessed it is beyond me. I remember not being too into the romance - it felt like two kids falling in love and to paralyzed with childish fears to enact change in their circumstances. This felt like an identical plot to Cookson's book 'Hamilton'. I wonder if this was a recurring fantasy of hers. After a later re-read I'll write a more thorough review.

[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.

[Harriet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea behind it, but I struggled getting into the book. For about the first 10 chapters I still felt slightly as though I was reading a particularly detailed and well-thought-out plan or plot summary. I like description, and didn't think the book had enough, to me it seemed more like stage directions. If I stopped, and though about how I would stage a production/film it was fine!

[Ariella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think three stars captures it for me: I liked it. ...but that's it. Cookson comes up with some thoughtful insights into human nature, too bad they were too few and interspersed. The characters were mostly one-diminutional, although they did have secrets. The good guys were good and the bad guys were bad! And after much drama, the good guys won in the end. Maybe really only 2.5 stars?

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes on, sometimes off

This writing was interesting as it was like a light switch; it was at times engaging and active, at others boring and mundane. I had pretty much predicted the story line, plot and outcome very early on but kept with it while while the author prodded through.

[Northern Light · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a typical Catherine Cookson and suffers for that. Hannah is in a loveless marriage at least from her husband's side. Everything changes when she goes to see if someone would publish her children's book and she meets people who will change her life for ever.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once you get past the support of adultery you can understand how Hannah gets into this relationship. The romance starts and intensifies quickly. Some plot twists were a bit much to take. You really end up disliking Humphrey and rooting for Hannah and David.

[Joan Archer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good read.

I really enjoyed this book but as it's by Catherine Cookson I knew I would. She has that gift of drawing you into the life's of her character's and it's hard to put the book down till you get to the end.

[Lbaker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of my favourite Catherine Cookson books, I did not find many characters likeable, and honestly got the "hero" and his manservent mixed up a few times.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The end was a bit long winded, but a good read all the same

[The Devine Ms Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Catherine Cookson's ability to write deeply about relationships, even though her books are often sad. This book was surprisingly upbeat, until disaster struck ....

[Pat Langhelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me a while to get into it but once I did it was hard not to put it down.

[Emily Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book :)

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A husband and wife....bored and unhappy. Deceit, betrayal, pain......
Find out what goes on when the lies are exposed.