Rag Nymph: A Novel

by Catherine Cookson

Overview

Catherine Cookson author of The Round Tower won the Winifred Holtby Award, leading to her readership quickly spread worldwide, with her many bestselling novels establishing her as one of the most popular contemporary authors.

Orphaned at a tender age, Millie Forester is adopted by "Raggie Aggie" Winkowski, and she suffers misfortune and misplaced love as she grows to adulthood side by side with Aggie's son, Ben, whose love for Millie increases over the years.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781451660067
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	06/27/2011
Edition description:	Simon & Schuster
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	552,058
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Catherine Cookson lived in Northumberland, England, the setting of many of her international bestsellers. Born in Tyne Dock, she was the illegitimate daughter of an impoverished woman, Kate, whom she was raised to believe was her older sister. She began to work in the civil service but eventually moved south to Hastings, where she met and married a local grammar school master. Although she was originally acclaimed as a regional writer, in 1968 her novel The Round Tower won the Winifred Holtby Award, her readership quickly spread worldwide, and her many bestselling novels established her as one of the most popular contemporary authors. After receiving an OBE in 1985, Catherine Cookson was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1993. She died shortly before her ninety-second birthday, in June 1998, having completed 104 works.

Editorial Reviews

Veteran Cookson ( The Parson's Daughter ) provides a sweet, though not terribly engaging tale of a precocious young girl in Victorian England. When her mother commits suicide after being arrested for prostitution, seven-year-old Millie Forester is thrust into the reluctant care of Raggie Aggie, an emotionally guarded rag seller, and Ben, the young man Aggie took in years before. Millie's presence brings happiness and new life to their house, as well as fresh ambition and spirit to its three inhabitants. For nine years, Aggie and Ben struggle to protect the delicate, vulnerable Millie as she grows into a beautiful young woman threatened by harsh outside forces, including the evil man responsible for her mother's death, the reappearance of her long-lost father and her naive misinterpretation of an upper-class suitor's intentions. Kind Ben, sensitive about his short stature and always hiding his unrequited passion for Millie, saves her from danger and ultimately teaches her what love really is. Loaded with villains, great escapes and several memorable characters, Cookson's romance is certainly a pleasant read, but it never fully develops strong narrative tension. Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternate. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly