Product Description

As the daughter of a mining family, Katie Mulholland is forced to find work as a scullery maid in the house of the Rosiers. But the beautiful young girl soon captures the eye of her employer's evil son, who rapes her and leaves her pregnant. Quick to dismiss Katie, the family force her into a loveless marriage with the cruel manager of the Rosier mines. But Katie's fate changes course when one man offers her the opportunity to make her own fortune, and to discover real love ...Spanning Katie's life from 1860 to the height of WWII, this is a spellbinding, triumphant, timeless drama from the pen of a brilliantly skilled storyteller.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #226945 in Books
• Published on: 1993-07-22
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 519 pages

From the Back Cover
The daughter of a mining family, Katie Mulholland is forced to find work as a scullery maid for the Rosiers. But the beautiful young girl soon captures the eye of her employer's evil son, a seducer who uses force when charm fails and leaves her pregnant.

Quick to dismiss Katie, the family force her into a loveless marriage with the cruel manager of the Rosier mines. But Katie's fate changes course when one man offers her the opportunity to make her own fortune, and to discover real love . . .

Spanning Katie's life from 1860 to the height of the Second World War, this is a triumphant, timeless drama from the pen of a brilliantly skilled storyteller.

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 bestselling 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

FROM RAGS TO RICHES...
This well-crafted novel by a master storyteller weaves the spellbinding tale of beautiful Katie Mulholland, who began life as the daughter of a miner. The life of a miner in class conscious, mid nineteenth century England was fraught with poverty, and Katie was forced to go into service at a tender age in order to help her family. Her story begins in 1860 which, at the age of fifteen, finds her working long, hard hours in a manor house, as a scullery maid for the Rosier family, who are members of the local gentry and owners of the mine for which her father works.

Due to her beauty she, unfortunately, catches the eye of her employer's handsome and evil son, Bernard Rosier, the heir to the Rosier Mining Company. All, however, goes well, until one night Bernard decides to slake his lust upon the unwilling and shocked Katie. It would be the beginning of a hateful obsession with Katie that would cast a long shadow and haunt both their lives.

Bernard's unspeakable act is the catalyst for a series of events, some quite shocking, that would ultimately have far reaching impact on the entire Mulholland family. Heavy with child, Katie is dismissed by her employer and gulled into a loveless marriage with William Bunting, the manager of the Rosier mines. Katie gives birth to a daughter, whom she names Sarah. After the birth, Bunting's cruelty to Katie goes into full swing. A murder, which would release her from the bonds of marriage, soon follows. This event, however, leads to a travesty of justice that would take the life of one near and dear to Katie.

With her remaining family, Katie leaves for greener pastures and begins what is to be a long and hard odyssey to a better life. What happens along life's path to Katie and those whom she loves and love her makes for a riveting story. It is a tale of great sorrow, hope, love, hatred, betrayal, and, ultimately, redemption. What happens to Katie and her progeny is a rags to riches story that will keep the reader turning the pages into the wee hours of the night.

FROM RAGS TO RICHES...
This well-crafted novel by a master storyteller weaves the spellbinding tale of beautiful Katie Mulholland, who began life as the daughter of a miner. The life of a miner in class conscious, mid nineteenth century England was fraught with poverty, and Katie was forced to go into service at a tender age in order to help her family. Her story begins in 1860 which, at the age of fifteen, finds her working long, hard hours in a manor house, as a scullery maid for the Rosier family, who are members of the local gentry and owners of the mine for which her father works.

Due to her beauty she, unfortunately, catches the eye of her employer's handsome and evil son, Bernard Rosier, the heir to the Rosier Mining Company. All, however, goes well, until one night Bernard decides to slake his lust upon the unwilling and shocked Katie. It would be the beginning of a hateful obsession with Katie that would cast a long shadow and haunt both their lives.

Bernard's unspeakable act is the catalyst for a series of events, some quite shocking, that would ultimately have far reaching impact on the entire Mulholland family. Heavy with child, Katie is dismissed by her employer and gulled into a loveless marriage with William Bunting, the manager of the Rosier mines. Katie gives birth to a daughter, whom she names Sarah. After the birth, Bunting's cruelty to Katie goes into full swing. A murder, which would release her from the bonds of marriage, soon follows. This event, however, leads to a travesty of justice that would take the life of one near and dear to Katie.

With her remaining family, Katie leaves for greener pastures and begins what is to be a long and hard odyssey to a better life. What happens along life's path to Katie and those whom she loves and love her makes for a riveting story. It is a tale of great sorrow, hope, love, hatred, betrayal, and, ultimately, redemption. What happens to Katie and her progeny is a rags to riches story that will keep the reader turning the pages into the wee hours of the night.

FROM RAGS TO RICHES...
This well-crafted novel by a master storyteller weaves the spellbinding tale of beautiful Katie Mulholland, who began life as the daughter of a miner. The life of a miner in class conscious, mid nineteenth century England was fraught with poverty, and Katie was forced to go into service at a tender age in order to help her family. Her story begins in 1860 which, at the age of fifteen, finds her working long, hard hours in a manor house, as a scullery maid for the Rosier family, who are members of the local gentry and owners of the mine for which her father works.

Due to her beauty she, unfortunately, catches the eye of her employer's handsome and evil son, Bernard Rosier, the heir to the Rosier Mining Company. All, however, goes well, until one night Bernard decides to slake his lust upon the unwilling and shocked Katie. It would be the beginning of a hateful obsession with Katie that would cast a long shadow and haunt both their lives.

Bernard's unspeakable act is the catalyst for a series of events, some quite shocking, that would ultimately have far reaching impact on the entire Mulholland family. Heavy with child, Katie is dismissed by her employer and gulled into a loveless marriage with William Bunting, the manager of the Rosier mines. Katie gives birth to a daughter, whom she names Sarah. After the birth, Bunting's cruelty to Katie goes into full swing. A murder, which would release her from the bonds of marriage, soon follows. This event, however, leads to a travesty of justice that would take the life of one near and dear to Katie.

With her remaining family, Katie leaves for greener pastures and begins what is to be a long and hard odyssey to a better life. What happens along life's path to Katie and those whom she loves and love her makes for a riveting story. It is a tale of great sorrow, hope, love, hatred, betrayal, and, ultimately, redemption. What happens to Katie and her progeny is a rags to riches story that will keep the reader turning the pages into the wee hours of the night.