Kate Hannigan / The Long Corridor

By Catherine Cookson

KATE HANNIGAN
Dr Rodney Prince had never seen a girl who looked more out o place in the grime and squalor of the Fifteen Streets than did Kate Hannigan. He knew she had suffered at the hands of men: Tim Hannigan, her 'father' was a vicious bully; John Herrington, a smooth-talking seducer, had left her with his child.

But Rodney Prince's desire for a family had been frozen out by a wife who'd wanted Harley Street, not a Tyneside slum. By contrast, Kate glowed with a warmth that far outshone the hard, brittle beauty of Stella, and exposed the emptiness in his heart.

And so, between Rodney Prince, a wealthy man locked in an unhappy marriage, and Kate Hannigan, a bastard child of the slums, grew a love that opposed all the concepts of an Edwardian society...

THE LONG CORRIDOR
To outsiders, Dr Paul Higgin's life appeared to be happy and contented. Everyone had a good word for him, and his home life appeared to be ideal. At thirty-six, Bett Higgins could still pass for a much younger woman, not just in looks but in the way she loved the company of people half her age. A grand couple, some might say...

But once the surgery was closed and the curtains drawn, the fa ade that Paul and Bett Higgins presented to the world concealed a welter of hate that had grown worse with the passing years. Between them stood the barrier of the past - of secrets that, were they known, could affect everyone around them. Unable to forgive each other, they led their separate lives - until Bett decided to allow her spite and resentment to culminate in revenge on the husband she did not love...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0552147028
• ISBN13: 9780552147026
• Release Date: March 2006
• Publisher: Corgi Books
• Length: 608 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 4.2" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

Witty charm - simply adorable

Marvelous and an enchanting novel, indeed. The first chapter confused me to the max, Cookson's reference to many character names just thrown into the sentence without a single hint of who they are or relation to anyone was definitely quite confusing; however as I read on it became such a lovely novel and I finished it under one day. It had me turning pages and exploiting little giggles page after the other. This book had many religious views and in fact some of its exposure made my perspective on Catholic Christians change dramatically, some points brought out by the heroin Kate Hannigan had me sitting there questioning the purpose of religion and fate. Other than that, this is a very charming little romance story and as I recall there is a sequal to this Kate Hannigans' Girl, I think.. in any case I will be reading that one next! Chaterine Cookson has proved to me to be an enchanting writer, her usage of vocabulary captivated me though not very difficult, it was not a first grade level read either. Very charming.

comparative look at the extremes of Edwardian England

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Fifteen Streets are filled with the hopeless poor with no expectations to escape the foulness of these slums. In this enervating world, an energetic innocent like Kate Hannigan has no chance for survival. To escape her abusive father, teenage Kate listened to the sweet con of John Herrington. When she becomes pregnant he drops her as yesterday's trash.Feeling a need to help the impoverished, wealthy Dr. Rodney Prince provides medical care to the residents of the Fifteen Streets. He helps Kate give birth and though she insists she prefers to die, he senses an inner strength and intelligence that makes her superior to her neighbors. As Rodney further compares lower class Kate to his blue-blooded hedonistic wife, Stella, he finds his upper crust sophisticated spouse lacking. Rodney wants to assist Kate and her out of wedlock daughter escape from the Fifteen Streets, but soon needs the two females as much as they need him as love blossoms between them.Though in some ways this novel feels antiquated as society has become more accepting of single mothers and intolerant towards irresponsible fathers, fans of the late great Catherine Cookson will enjoy this reprint. The story line provides a comparative look at the extremes of Edwardian England through the eyes of Rodney who has feet in both societies. Kate and Rodney are delightful protagonists, but Stella is so shallow she makes Hal seem like Mother Teresa. Still few authors can describe poverty any better than Ms. Cookson has and those of her fans who have not already will seek Annie's story told in KATE HANNIGAN'S GIRL.Harriet Klausner