The Hamiltons: Two Novels

By Catherine Cookson

Book Overview

Catherine Cookson's Hamilton novels have taken their place among the most widely acclaimed and enjoyed of her books. In this omnibus edition of Hamilton and Goodbye Hamilton, she shows her exceptional ability to tell a story in which good humor and a sense of compassion are finely blended, with characters so vividly alive they leap off the page.

Maisie could never be quite sure when she first met Hamilton, but most likely it was when she started talking to herself as a lonely seven-year-old. She didn't know his name until much later, when she was fourteen and Dr. Kane had to pay her a visit. "Let us use our horse sense," he said, and at that moment Maisie saw a great horse galloping past him and all the time looking at her, its eyes full of knowledge and its lips drawn back as if in laughter. Soon after, Maisie adopted the name Hamilton for her new and secret companion. Of course, she couldn't talk about Hamilton to anyone -- but she could write about him. And write she did, with results that would eventually broaden her horizons far beyond the confines of the small town where she had spent her lonely girlhood. Hamilton would continue to be a pillar of Maisie's life for years, as she deals with the adult problems of work, love, and marriage and builds a life for herself.

Goodbye Hamilton picks up where Hamilton leaves off. By the time Maisie reaches her early thirties, she's escaped a disastrous marriage and become a bestselling author with her very first book: all about Hamilton, the remarkable horse who exists only in her imagination but had nonetheless proved a real guide, philosopher, and friend since her childhood. Now she's about to be married again, this time to a man whose deep and abiding love for her knows no bounds. And Hamilton, in turn, marks the occasion by taking a wife himself, an elegant (and equally imaginary) mare named Begonia.

So the outlook was fair, but it seems Maisie was destined never to know happiness untouched by sorrow, and the next few years would bring their share of fresh troubles -- some a legacy from the past -- to face and fight. But Hamilton and Begonia are there to back her up, and at a time when things are looking especially black, a very real flesh and blood boy (with a surprisingly deplorable vocabulary) comes tumbling into her life, providing the greatest support and joy of all.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684808013
• ISBN13: 9780684808017
• Release Date: December 2006
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.1" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Absolutely marvelous, great book!

This is an absolutely great book that is hard to put down. Catherine Cookson has an absolutely astounding way with the words that lead the reader into all Maisie's experiences the way she looked at it. It is humorous and sad book at the same time about a girl who grew up with abusive mother and who had artistic imagination that helped her to cope with her life and to remain kind and compassionate even having gone through such a harsh life. This book will make you laugh and cry and delight in richness of words that portrays the events of a book in such a vivid and bright way as if you were there. I recommend this book and can not wait to read more books by Catherine Cookson.

TYPICAL EXCELLENT WRITING THAT WE HAVE ALL COME TO EXPECT

While these two novels, Hamilton and Goodbye Hamilton, are somewhat different than the author's usual wonderful stories, I like both. I certainly won't rehash what the dust jacket says about the books as another reviewer here has already done that, but will just say this is the story of a young girl, growing up, with the help of an imaginary horse, Hamilton, to whom she talks to. Ther is no mystry here, only the great character developement that this author is know for. I cannot say that the books is "whimsical" and at the same time "deep," as that just does not work. I will say that the books are different, a joy to read and something a bit different. Recommend these two highly.

superior whimsical deep looks at a lonely person

"Hamilton". In Tyneside since she has only two memories before she turned seven, lonely Maisie Rochester assumes that is when she first met Hamilton. Having no friends and a mom who never spoke with her, Maisie mostly talked to herself or her secret companion Hamilton. She told no one about his existence because he explained to her that kids would taunt her worse than they do now and adults would lock her away as a horse cannot be a human mentor, but though she told no one about her beloved advisor, she wrote all about her only friend and the horse sense guidance he provided to her. Hamilton remains Maisie's only constant as she becomes an adult. "Goodbye Hamilton". Hamilton left Maisie soon after she declared her love for Nardy as his horse sense told him she no longer needed him. On the plus side, her diary of her life with Hamilton has become a bestseller even if everyone assumes Hamilton only lived in her imagination. Still she has a chance to remarry, but she has doubts as she is dismal when dealing with people and her first time as a wife was a major failure. However, Hamilton has returned to help her, but this time he is accompanied by his fiancée, the beautiful mare Begonia. Maisie knows that whatever she does, if needed, her beloved Hamilton will return to guide her through the darkness. This reprint contains two of Catherine Cookson's 1980s the Hamilton Trilogy (this reviewer has not read HAROLD) though I am unsure why only the first two tales were included in this collection. Both tales are superior whimsical deep looks at a lonely person who makes up an imaginary horse that seems very real as he guides her through human interaction and befriends her. Harriet Klausner