Throughout her life Catherine Cookson was

one of the world s most beloved writers. Her

a books sold millions of copies, and when

she died in 1998, she left behind several books still

to be published. A Hause Divided is a vintage

Cookson novel, filled with the themes and types of

characters that have always thrilled her many fans.

Blinded during the Second World War,

Matthew Wallingham, a decorated war hero, feels

he is faced with a grim future. Lying in his hospi-

tal bed, he imagines his life as an invalid and falls

into a depression that neither his friends nor his

family can coax him out of. His nurse, Elizabeth

Duckworth, becomes his saving grace--her gentle-

ness, warmth, and compassion bring new vitality

to Matthew s heart.

In the meantime, the effects of the war are too

keenly felt throughout Britain. Shortages of food

and ramshackle buildings are commonplace as

Matthew and the other soldiers return to their

homes, families, and workplaces. The people of

Britain are adjusting to the reality of postwar aus-

terity and attempting to returnto their mode of

life prior to the war.

Matthew is faced with a new set of problems

upon returniug home. His mother is suffering due

to his father s illness, and his younger brother, who

successfully managed the family farm during the

war, resents Matthew, who thinks that he will now

comanage the farm. Matthew s grandmother is the

only person who he feels listens to him, but the

rest of the family regards her as the bane of their

existence.

Soon Matthew finds that all of his thoughts

are focused on Elizabeth. Attempts to carry out his

plans to find work have left him frustrated, and

Elizabeth becomes his only hope for a happy fnmre.

However, Elizabeth, from a less-than-privileged