The Parson's Daughter (Soundings)

Rating:
Summary: An excellent story about a brave woman.
Review: Cookston tells her sad story about a young girl who follows her mother's wishes and goes against her father's, to have what she believes is true love. The readers follow Nancy Ann from husband to husband as she searches for true love, which she finds in the end. I thought this novel was wonderful! I felt the pain that Nancy Ann felt with her first husband who mistreated her and I felt her happiness when she found at last her true love. I recommend this novel to anyone who will suffer along with the characters in the novel because they love a happy endings.

Rating:
Summary: Too much of it.
Review: Okay, to be honest this book was good when it comes to writing. However, its dull tone and constantly depressing situations made me depressed while reading, skimming through the pages.

I was expecting some kind of a happy turn, some kind of a sign of that "happy love" like in Kate Hannigan, however, I was disappointed to witness and FEEL one death after the other, it felt like I was reading a grave, it was too much sadness, too much emotion too much everything! And I did not get any happiness in return either, no treat for the reader:(

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good writing style read; however once again, this is not the best plot story for it contains too much drama and too much pain in my opinion.

Catherine Cookson did an amazing job delivering the feeling and the vibe of the book, yet I think it was too much. Too depressing and not enough light and once again the religious reference and the illegitimate child is like part of her writing style, I only read her 2 books, Kate Hannigan (illegitimate child who faces religious questions) and Kate Hannigan's girl (also illegitimate child who wants to become a nun). It gets very very annoying after a while.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Thi book is absoutely gripping. Once you start to warm toward it you don't want to put it down.

Nancy Ann Hazel, the 'heroine' in this novel is a tomboy. Due to her elder brothers' training she does most of the things boys do in that time like fencing and a bit of wrestling. When she turns thirteen, her parents decide to send her to dame school to learn the ways of a young lady. After two or three years there, her mother becomes gravely ill and she returns home to stay with her mum until her death or recovery. During this period, the man from The House, a rich, notorious womanizer and gambler pays calls and helps the family to get through their difficult time by providing food and a doctor to attend to the mother. His intentions are to act as a suitor to this wonderful young girl, athough he is old enough to be her father. The only one oblivious to his motives is Nancy Ann herself. The mother wants to see her lovable tomboy settle down before she dies and suggests that she allow the man from The House to court her because he would be ale to provide for her without much effort. This is the exact opposite idea of the Parson, Nancy's father, because the man from The House is known to have many mistresses and he is a man of the world. He pleads with his wife to change her mind but her opinion can't be changed. Nancy Ann marries the man against her father's wishes to please her mother. After this she goes through trials where she shows incredible strength of character and mind and is able to come out on top, finally happy, with the love she was avoiding.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a bit of comedy wrapped up in the joy and sorrows of life in the 19th century. This is the first novel by Catherine Cookson that I have read and it has encouraged me to purchase more of her writings.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Thi book is absoutely gripping. Once you start to warm toward it you don't want to put it down.

Nancy Ann Hazel, the 'heroine' in this novel is a tomboy. Due to her elder brothers' training she does most of the things boys do in that time like fencing and a bit of wrestling. When she turns thirteen, her parents decide to send her to dame school to learn the ways of a young lady. After two or three years there, her mother becomes gravely ill and she returns home to stay with her mum until her death or recovery. During this period, the man from The House, a rich, notorious womanizer and gambler pays calls and helps the family to get through their difficult time by providing food and a doctor to attend to the mother. His intentions are to act as a suitor to this wonderful young girl, athough he is old enough to be her father. The only one oblivious to his motives is Nancy Ann herself. The mother wants to see her lovable tomboy settle down before she dies and suggests that she allow the man from The House to court her because he would be ale to provide for her without much effort. This is the exact opposite idea of the Parson, Nancy's father, because the man from The House is known to have many mistresses and he is a man of the world. He pleads with his wife to change her mind but her opinion can't be changed. Nancy Ann marries the man against her father's wishes to please her mother. After this she goes through trials where she shows incredible strength of character and mind and is able to come out on top, finally happy, with the love she was avoiding.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a bit of comedy wrapped up in the joy and sorrows of life in the 19th century. This is the first novel by Catherine Cookson that I have read and it has encouraged me to purchase more of her writings.