The Mallen Girl [Hardcover]

Catherine Cookson (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Heron (1976)
• ASIN: B002L0MNI4
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Catherine Cookson was born in Tyne Dock, the illegitimate daughter of a poverty-stricken woman, Kate, whom she believed to be her older sister. She 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 of contemporary women novelists.

After receiving an OBE in 1985, Catherine Cookson was created a Dame of the British Empire in 1993. She was appointed an Honorary Fellow of St Hilda's College, Oxford, in 1997.

For many years she lived near Newcastle upon Tyne. She died shortly before her ninety-second birthday, in June 1998.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Mallens Continued, July 12, 2009

By 

Tara (Utah) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This is the second in a trilogy, the first being The Mallen Streak. In the Mallen Streak we met the Mallens and their immediate family and servants. Only a select few made it into this novel due to death and tragedy. Once again, Anna Brigmore is a governess, this time over the late Barbara's daughter, also named Barbara. Constance, the young Barbara's aunt is across the hill running a farm. Also in attendance, is the maid, Mary, tho she has a much smaller part in this novel.

The story focuses on young Barbara and her love for her cousin, Michael, Constance's son. Barbara is deaf and amid the puppy love, teenage angst, and angry bouts of passion, readers get a look into the frustrations that a young deaf woman in the late 1800s has to deal with. Partly due to her disability, and partly due to an entire family trying to stand in the way of her being with the man she loves, Barbara becomes a manipulative and angry woman. She does something bad. Will she meet with a tragic ending like her mother did before her?

In the Mallen Streak, there was definet lines drawn between master and servant. In Mallen Girl, readers will witness those lines being erased as new ideas about rich and poor and laborors rights are introduced, much to Anna's dismay.

My only complaint is the "monologues" of the Bensham parents. They go on and on with their speeches too much. They, did, however, bring some interesting new additions to the story, by way of Daniel, John, and Katie.

Three stars because I would have liked more Barbara, less of the older Benshams. Also, at this point, I am tired of Anna and her uppitiness.

3.0 out of 5 stars Spoiled Brat, November 7, 2009

By 

Janet (Montana) - See all my reviews

I didn't like this book at first. Barbara was such a spoiled brat that it really made me sick. However, I stayed with it and at the end it really turned into a nice book. Grant it not great but good.