'The Queen of raw family romances' Telegraph'Catherine Cookson soars above her rivals' Mail on Sunday'Her characters have the grit of real life' Sunday Times

In Christine Winter's youth, her family home was always full of love and laughter. Along with her brother Ronnie and their neighbours, Don and Sam Dowling, Chrissie passed a happy, untroubled childhood, even when the strains of the outside world darkened her family's doorstep.

As she grew up, though, Chrissie quickly realised that she'd have to leave her carefree youth behind. As a young woman, she found that she was seemingly cursed with an indefinable charm that drew men to her, and in some cases led them to the brink of obsession.

Chrissie was used to refusing men's advances, preferring to keep to herself even in the face of their passion. Until one day, Chrissie met a stranger on the river bank near her home and found her life irreversibly changed.

Readers love Cookson's gripping historical sagas:

'Storytelling at its best''Cookson's stories are timeless''A great choice for a summer read''Always a joy to read'

Catherine Cookson, UK's top 100 bestselling authors of all time, Nielsen BookScan, July 2024