The Silent Lady is a historical novel, set in the richest and the poorest areas of London, England, and ranges in dates from the year 1929 to the year 1959.
The main character, Irene Baindor, becomes known in the pages of the book more simply as The Silent Lady. Unbeknownst to her new family she had been a lady of high society and a wife to a well-known and respected businessman. However, what family and friends did not know was that he was abusive. The story follows Irene as she trades that horrific position as his wife for a life on the streets in the poorest areas of London. It tells of kind folk who, though hardly able to feed themselves, were willing to help others that have less than they do. Thirty years later, after good times and bad, Cookson tidies the story of this lost lady up nicely.
The title on my copy of the book calls The Silent Lady Cookson's "magnificent final novel." I agree with the first part as I think that it was a magnificent novel and equal to any of her nearly 100 published books. However, it turns out that it was not the last book ever published bearing the author's name. It was published in 2001 and there are at least three books that were published after that date.
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Did I or didn't I read a Catherine Cookson novel that year?
Another great novel for fans of historical fiction.
How Did I Become A Bookworm in which Louanne discusses how she was introduced to Catherine Cookson by her grandmother.
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This storyline sounds intriguing. Especially as I am currently reading a book that takes place in the Whitechapel area of London, which was extrememly poor at the time of the Jack the Ripper killings in 1888. Thanks for introducing me to 'The Silent Lady', Brenda.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a very interesting book, thanks for the recommendation.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds like a remarkable achievement, given the author’s physical condition and the necessity of dictating it onto a cassette tape. It sounds like a very engaging and thought-provoking story.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a book and story that I would really enjoy reading. I certainly have a greater appreciation for the author since you shared the details of her dedication to writing. I'm glad it didn't turn out to be her final novel, and I am thrilled to hear that it is truly magnificent.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds exceptional. I don't know why, but just reading your review almost brought tears to my eyes. The storyline is captivating - I'm curious about the character and how it turned out for her.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your interesting book review. It is amazing the author wrote such a book given her condition and yet so dedicated to sharing her novel. It sounds an engaging read. Thank you for your recommendation.
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