This biography of Catherine Cookson follows her life from her birth as the illegitimate daughter of a South Shields woman who became an alcoholic in later life, through her career as a laundry worker to her status as a bestselling author. Through interviews with the subject and original research, the author has tried to obtain fresh information about Mrs Cookson's background and correct some mistakes in her autobiography, Our Kate. This is a warm, sympathetic picture of life in the north before the war, class antagonisms, and a determined woman who fought against the odds to reach her position.