The Girl from Leam Lane: The Life and Writing of Catherine Cookson Book

Born to an impoverished young Tyneside woman in 1906--illegitimate, unwanted, and rejected from birth--Catherine Cookson lived a life marked by darkness, cruelty, and neglect. At twenty-two, reeling from a broken love affair, she left Tyneside in search of a new life. After five years and long hours in a workhouse laundry, she was finally able to buy a house of her own--a hopeful sign that her escape was complete. In fact, her struggle had barely begun. Following the loss of four babies, a nervous breakdown, and confinement in a psychiatric hospital, she was brought to the brink of suicide and forced to recognize the heart of darkness as her own. This remarkable book will be welcomed by the millions who know Catherine Cookson through her novels--perhaps better than they realize. Catherine Cookson was a prolific novelist; among her many best-selling works are The Black Candle, The Golden Straw, Obsession, and The Year of the Virgins. Piers Dudgeon's critically acclaimed titles include Catherine Cookson Country, The Spirit of Britain, and The Country Child.Read More