title: Kate's Daughter: The Real Catherine Cookson
author:  Piers Dudgeon 
description: This is as close to Catherine Cookson as anyone will ever come. It is an affectionate warts-and-all account of her life by Piers Dudgeon, who knew her well. I worked with Catherine Cookson for 17 years before my retirement, and then for some time afterwards. She was a wonderful friend - loyal, generous to a fault, but also demanding. I loved her dearly and still miss our regular telephone calls as, indeed, I miss her presence. Yes, she could be difficult, but I admired her quality of writing and the sheer power of her storytelling. This book brings out the hardships and miseries she faced with Tom, as I once described him, 'the power behind the throne'. A wonderful illuminating summary of her life and work by someone who really cares. A must for all her fans.
zlib_text: **BILL BAILEY**
  
  Catherine Cookson
  
   _Table of Contents_
  
  The Catherine Cookson Story
  
  Bill Bailey
  
  Chapter One
  
  Chapter Two
  
  Chapter Three
  
  Chapter Four
  
  Chapter Five
  
  Chapter Six
  
  Chapter Seven
  
  Chapter Eight
  
  Chapter Nine
  
  Chapter Ten
  
  Chapter Eleven
  
  Chapter Twelve
  
  Chapter Thirteen
  
  Chapter Fourteen
  
  Chapter Fifteen
  
  Chapter Sixteen
  
  Chapter Seventeen
  
  Chapter Eighteen
  
  Chapter Nineteen
  
  Chapter Twenty
  
  Chapter Twenty-One
  
  Chapter Twenty-Two
  
  Chapter Twenty-Three
  
  Chapter Twenty-Four
  
  _**The Catherine Cookson Story**_
  
  In brief:
  
  Her books have sold over 130 million copies in 26 languages throughout the
  world and still counting…
  
  Catherine Cookson was born Katherine Ann McMullen on June 27th, 1906 in the
  bleak industrial heartland of Tyne Dock, South Shields (then part of County
  Durham) and later moved to East Jarrow, which is now in Tyne and Wear.
  
  She was the illegitimate daughter of Kate Fawcett, an alcoholic, whom she
  thought was her sister. She was raised by her grandparents,