Catherine Cookson 8 Book Set (My Beloved Son, The Dwelling Place, The Rag Maid, Kate Hannigan, A Sister's Obsession, The Smuggler's Secret and More)

This Catherine Cookson collection brings together eight novels, each centred on lives shaped by hardship, family ties and difficult choices. From the tough reality of the Fifteen Streets to the hidden strains behind a seemingly content household in County Durham, the set spans a range of settings and circumstances.

Across the included stories, characters face loss, poverty and responsibility: a boy growing up with nothing to call his own, a teenager left to care for nine siblings after cholera, and a mother determined to secure a better future for her son after being left with debt. Other narratives explore possessive family dynamics, a young girl out of place amid the grime of the Fifteen Streets, a child abandoned in 1854, and a boy earning shillings on the swift-flowing waters of the Tyne.

Included titles

• The Fifteen Streets
• The Dwelling Place
• My Beloved Son
• A Sister's Obsession
• Kate Hannigan
• Daughter of Scandal
• The Rag Maid
• The Smuggler’s Secret

Key details

• Eight-book collection of novels by Catherine Cookson
• Includes The Fifteen Streets, The Dwelling Place and My Beloved Son
• Includes A Sister's Obsession, Kate Hannigan and Daughter of Scandal
• Includes The Rag Maid and The Smuggler’s Secret

Synopses

The Fifteen Streets

Life on the Fifteen Streets is a continual struggle for survival. Born into an ever-expanding family, John O'Brien grows up with nothing to call his own.

The Dwelling Place

When fifteen-year-old Cissie Brodie loses her parents to cholera, she is forced out of the family cottage. Left to raise her nine brothers and sisters alone, she must find a way to keep them together.

My Beloved Son

In 1926, Ellen Jebeau is widowed and left with debt and empty dreams. Determined that her son Joseph should have everything in life, she sets her sights on a different future for him.

A Sister's Obsession

Rosie struggles to cope with her eldest sister's over-possessive nature. Since their mother’s death, Beatrice has become dominating, taking over the running of the house.

Kate Hannigan

Dr Rodney Prince has never seen a girl look more out of place in the grime of the Fifteen Streets than Kate Hannigan. Her beauty and intelligence stand in contrast to his hard, brittle and calculating wife.

Daughter of Scandal

In Heap Hollow cottage in County Durham, a family appears close and loving. Behind the happy façade, a shadow has grown longer and darker with the passing years.

The Rag Maid

In 1854, Millie’s mother abandons her late one afternoon. Fate brings the seven-year-old to Aggie’s door, changing life for them both.

The Smuggler’s Secret

Born into grinding poverty, young Freddie Musgrave depends on his wits to survive and help feed his family. He earns a few shillings by navigating his small boat across the swift-flowing waters of the Tyne.