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Jarrow #3
Return to Jarrow
Catherine (Kitty) McMullen, is seventeen, restless and rebellious. Resentful of her mother Kate's new husband, she yearns for stories of the father she never knew and when her gossipy aunt divulges that he was a wealthy gentleman, Catherine's discontent with grimy, impoverished Jarrow grows. Taking a job at the workhouse laundry, her young eyes are further confronted with the horrors and indignities of poverty, and she becomes even more determined to rise above her wretched surroundings by educating herself. Braving the ridicule of fellow staff, Catherine embarks on a quest for knowledge. Soon the ill-educated and streetwise Kitty McMullen is a ghost of the past, and the well-spoken, well-read Catherine leaves the north-east to follow her dreams. But hardship and heartbreak are not far behind, and there are battles to be fought and won for this plucky and romantic heroine. RETURN TO JARROW concludes the bestselling trilogy that began with THE JARROW LASS and continued with A CHILD OF JARROW.
- GenresFiction
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2004
125 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Janet MacLeod Trotter
39 books362 followersJanet was brought up in the North East of England with her four brothers, by Scottish parents. She is a best-selling author of 24 books, including the hugely popular INDIA TEA SERIES, THE JARROW TRILOGY and a childhood memoir, BEATLES & CHIEFS, which was featured on BBC Radio Four. Her novel, THE HUNGRY HILLS, gained her a place on the shortlist of The Sunday Times’ Young Writers’ Award, and the TEA PLANTER’S DAUGHTER and IN THE FAR PASHMINA MOUNTAINS were nominated for the RNA Historical Novel Award. Her India-set novels, such as THE RAJ HOTEL SERIES, are inspired by her grandparents who lived and worked in India from the 1920s to '50s.
A graduate of Edinburgh University, she has been editor of the Clan MacLeod Magazine, a columnist on the Newcastle Journal and has had numerous short stories published in women’s magazines. Aged 18 she climbed on a bus and went to Kathmandu - the result was a mystery novel, THE VANISHING OF RUTH. Her second mystery, THE HAUNTING OF KULAH is set on the remote Outer Isles of Scotland. She has also written a Scottish historical novel, THE JACOBITE LASS, based on the epic story of Scottish heroine, Flora MacDonald.
A graduate of Edinburgh University, she has been editor of the Clan MacLeod Magazine, a columnist on the Newcastle Journal and has had numerous short stories published in women’s magazines. Aged 18 she climbed on a bus and went to Kathmandu - the result was a mystery novel, THE VANISHING OF RUTH. Her second mystery, THE HAUNTING OF KULAH is set on the remote Outer Isles of Scotland. She has also written a Scottish historical novel, THE JACOBITE LASS, based on the epic story of Scottish heroine, Flora MacDonald.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 23, 2014
If there were any more stars, I would give them. I thoroughly enjoyed the trilogy, but this last book left me heartfelt and in tears. I cried as I read of Kitty and Tom losing their first baby, then the ensuing miscarriages. Watching Kitty grow from the tempestuous little girl from Jarrow into a young woman moving away to build a life off herself, settling into Hastings and finding friendship in a mother figure she'd never had to her courtship and marriage to the humble yet loving Tom Cookson. We have experienced the volatile destructive relationship between Kitty and her mother Kate, and we at last see them make their peace with each other as Kate finally tells Kitty what she had always longed to know - all about her father and what he was like. This was the most tearful a heartfelt part of the story because it was like everything had come full circle. And Kitty was free. Really free of the past that had haunted her for so long. And it was then, she could finally return to Jarrow. With Tom, Kitty had come home.
November 12, 2014
4.5 stars
This was a really good book to finish the Jarrow Trilogy.
I loved the way the author drew the characters so you could see them warts and all. What I really liked about this was that it wasn't a "happy ever after" type story and you didn't really know what was around the corner for the characters.
It's a shame that this book finishes the series but I look forward to reading some more books by this author.
This was a really good book to finish the Jarrow Trilogy.
I loved the way the author drew the characters so you could see them warts and all. What I really liked about this was that it wasn't a "happy ever after" type story and you didn't really know what was around the corner for the characters.
It's a shame that this book finishes the series but I look forward to reading some more books by this author.
August 24, 2019
Simply excellent trilogy!!!!
What a wonderful series! MacLeod concludes the trilogy with a final journey of pain that ends in triumph. What I love about these books is that the good and bad are not so easily defined. In book 2, I felt sorry for Kate. In this book, I found her to be insufferable. With Kitty, I went back and forth between pitying her and growing annoyed with her bouts of self-pity in otherwise positive moments. And with Bridie, I was most charmed, then utterly shocked! (Read to find out why!!) In reality, these characters reflect the complexity of people. We can be 'good' at times, 'bad' at others, depending on the circumstances. We can be victims in situations not our own making, especially as children, yet become accountable as adults for the consequences. We can love purely, wholly, and then allow that sentiment to throttle those we love. Truly, our lives are not linear but punctuated with twists and turns. 'Tis a journey of discovery and change, not a destination, and some are harder to traverse than others; indeed, Kitty's journey is among the hardest I have ever read. As a reader and admirer of her work, I am so glad that she, known as Catherine Cookson, chose to rise above it all, reconcile with her past, and find peace. Through endless tumult, loss, betrayal, and discouragement, this brave young woman fought for self-respect and dignity and finally, deservedly won!!! It's an inspiring triumph that will leave you with a smile! Bravo, MacLeod! You wrote a magnificent story I'll not easily forget...ever!
What a wonderful series! MacLeod concludes the trilogy with a final journey of pain that ends in triumph. What I love about these books is that the good and bad are not so easily defined. In book 2, I felt sorry for Kate. In this book, I found her to be insufferable. With Kitty, I went back and forth between pitying her and growing annoyed with her bouts of self-pity in otherwise positive moments. And with Bridie, I was most charmed, then utterly shocked! (Read to find out why!!) In reality, these characters reflect the complexity of people. We can be 'good' at times, 'bad' at others, depending on the circumstances. We can be victims in situations not our own making, especially as children, yet become accountable as adults for the consequences. We can love purely, wholly, and then allow that sentiment to throttle those we love. Truly, our lives are not linear but punctuated with twists and turns. 'Tis a journey of discovery and change, not a destination, and some are harder to traverse than others; indeed, Kitty's journey is among the hardest I have ever read. As a reader and admirer of her work, I am so glad that she, known as Catherine Cookson, chose to rise above it all, reconcile with her past, and find peace. Through endless tumult, loss, betrayal, and discouragement, this brave young woman fought for self-respect and dignity and finally, deservedly won!!! It's an inspiring triumph that will leave you with a smile! Bravo, MacLeod! You wrote a magnificent story I'll not easily forget...ever!
July 4, 2019
Emotional
This final book of the Jarrow trilogy is the end to an emotionally draining saga as the story continues with focus on Kate's illegitimate daughter Catherine.
Living in abject poverty with her grandparents, mother and uncle, Catherine is raised in a violent and abusive household influenced by alcohol and the shameful stigma of her illegitimate origins.
Many of the scenes of the alcoholic rages of the adults is very real as pictured through the eyes of the young Catherine. I felt the fear, shame and feelings of inadequacy Catherine experienced as she strives to make a better life for herself and attempt to leave it all behind her.
This author does an exemplary job of describing the emotions and confusion of having been raised with a staunch religious background whilst carrying the guilt of a past she had no control over. The psychological damage of such an intense background is something which she fights an internal war with while outwardly she works tirelessly to run from. The war in her own mind becomes a series of battles as she matures and fights for peace within herself.
Catherine's relationship with her mother as an adult is central to this powerful story and the author does a commendable job of relating the uneven, hurtful and angry interactions between the two.
I recommend to readers of historical fiction as a powerful portrayal of life in Jarrow and the brutal effects of poverty and illegitamacy.
This final book of the Jarrow trilogy is the end to an emotionally draining saga as the story continues with focus on Kate's illegitimate daughter Catherine.
Living in abject poverty with her grandparents, mother and uncle, Catherine is raised in a violent and abusive household influenced by alcohol and the shameful stigma of her illegitimate origins.
Many of the scenes of the alcoholic rages of the adults is very real as pictured through the eyes of the young Catherine. I felt the fear, shame and feelings of inadequacy Catherine experienced as she strives to make a better life for herself and attempt to leave it all behind her.
This author does an exemplary job of describing the emotions and confusion of having been raised with a staunch religious background whilst carrying the guilt of a past she had no control over. The psychological damage of such an intense background is something which she fights an internal war with while outwardly she works tirelessly to run from. The war in her own mind becomes a series of battles as she matures and fights for peace within herself.
Catherine's relationship with her mother as an adult is central to this powerful story and the author does a commendable job of relating the uneven, hurtful and angry interactions between the two.
I recommend to readers of historical fiction as a powerful portrayal of life in Jarrow and the brutal effects of poverty and illegitamacy.
April 28, 2020
Final part of the trilogy
This continues the tale of Kitty McMullen and her life in Hastings. She tries to put her past, or more accurately her mother’s past, behind her. Her shame at growing up in poverty with no father and a drunk for a mother, follows her even though she’s progressing in her career. Her mother follows her south and their fraught relationship continues to make them both unhappy.
I hadn’t realised at first that this is a retelling of the early life of Catherine Cookson, and it’s certainly a dramatic story. The twists and turns from success to heartbreak, shame and sadness and back kept me reading late into the night, willing Kitty to find her happiness at last. This tale does not disappoint in its recreation of the mores of times past and the shame of illegitimacy. More than once I wept for the cruelty of her childhood and the sadness of her mother Kate’s lost youth. Keep the tissues close!
This continues the tale of Kitty McMullen and her life in Hastings. She tries to put her past, or more accurately her mother’s past, behind her. Her shame at growing up in poverty with no father and a drunk for a mother, follows her even though she’s progressing in her career. Her mother follows her south and their fraught relationship continues to make them both unhappy.
I hadn’t realised at first that this is a retelling of the early life of Catherine Cookson, and it’s certainly a dramatic story. The twists and turns from success to heartbreak, shame and sadness and back kept me reading late into the night, willing Kitty to find her happiness at last. This tale does not disappoint in its recreation of the mores of times past and the shame of illegitimacy. More than once I wept for the cruelty of her childhood and the sadness of her mother Kate’s lost youth. Keep the tissues close!
April 10, 2021
An exceptional final story in the Jarrow trilogy which relays the lives of Catherine Cookson's grandmother, her mother and herself. All three lives were burdened with unimaginable hardship and poverty which affected Catherine's adult life. She couldn't wait to leave Jarrow, the place where she was born and brought up, and was determined to make something of herself, but her impoverished background was never far behind. I felt for her throughout the book, especially with the tragedies which she had to endure after she married. The trilogy - The Jarrow Lass, A Child of Jarrow and Return to Jarrow is thoroughly recommended.
May 27, 2020
Count your blessings!
After reading Books 1 and 2 I really felt very sad, deciding not to go on. Finally I read Book 3, thinking about all those tragedies, upon Rose Ann, Kate and finally Catherine. I still think that so many terrible situations cannot fall upon one single person. Not one single happy or nice event all through their lives.
I would have liked “and they lived happily ever after”.
After reading Books 1 and 2 I really felt very sad, deciding not to go on. Finally I read Book 3, thinking about all those tragedies, upon Rose Ann, Kate and finally Catherine. I still think that so many terrible situations cannot fall upon one single person. Not one single happy or nice event all through their lives.
I would have liked “and they lived happily ever after”.
August 22, 2025
Moving and touching story
Well written stories.historical times 18/19/20 centuries. well researched . Characters loveable and believable. I want to take them home and love them forever. Life was so unfair to them. Life is still unfair to some people in the 21 Century in The British Isles bless them all.
Well written stories.historical times 18/19/20 centuries. well researched . Characters loveable and believable. I want to take them home and love them forever. Life was so unfair to them. Life is still unfair to some people in the 21 Century in The British Isles bless them all.
September 18, 2018
Brilliant reads glad I read them all and it surprised me in the final book to discover the connection with Cathrine Cookson it made the books even more interesting. It also gave me a better understanding of how hard life was for the mining community in the north.I really enjoyed the trilogy
November 6, 2019
Enjoyed this series of books.
Read it on a Kindle which makes it more difficult to refer back to see which characters belongs to who.
But that’s my choice.
Read it on a Kindle which makes it more difficult to refer back to see which characters belongs to who.
But that’s my choice.
January 2, 2020
Powerful Trilogy
A trilogy of books that give you a moving insight into a famous authors beginning, and the trials of life during the period.
A trilogy of books that give you a moving insight into a famous authors beginning, and the trials of life during the period.
May 4, 2020
Just loved all three books in this trilogy. Have read all Catherine Cooksons books over the years so to discover this author was great. Now want to read more.
June 4, 2021
Best Series I've read in years!
This entire series was absolutely amazing, but Return to Jarrow was by far the best. I couldn't put it down!
This entire series was absolutely amazing, but Return to Jarrow was by far the best. I couldn't put it down!
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August 22, 2022If you want to be depressed, than by all means read this series.
January 24, 2022
Really good book throughly enjoyed reading it
February 6, 2013
A lovely story to finish off this trilogy. The main character, Kate's daughter has her own fair share of trials and tribulations to deal with as the decades pass, including the outbreak of war, the tensions of a friendship that is not all that it seems, and struggling with her mother's alcohol issues. The book ends with a lovely link to Catherine Cookson too!
I cannot recommend these stories enough.
I cannot recommend these stories enough.
November 13, 2012
Finished this a few weeks ago now, really enjoyed the whole trilogy and would recomend to anyone interested in this period in history. Life was very tough when you were born into the working class and so many circumstances can change life quickly. Was good to learn much of Catherine Cookson's life and the challeges that she faced to become the writer that she did later in her life.
August 1, 2012
this trilogy was based on the life of Catherine Cooksons grandmothers, mothers and her own life. they each had a very hard life between being poor, alcaholism and abuse as well as family secrets that all affected Catherine even into her adult life. the books were not light reading and in some spots were very rough.
May 10, 2011
the book is story about girl whoi sillegitame child of a mother. Since she learn to understand shae has alway faced sorrow. but every timr life have given ablow to her she has come out triumphantly. thos who like to read tragedies and emotional drama can go for this
April 5, 2013
Loved the ending the Trilogy of Books and a great ending.
October 21, 2016
Read the third book so the story continues Catherine the second
November 3, 2016
Very engrossing!
A must read if a fan of Catherine Cookson. Janet M Trotter gives new understanding to another prolific writer. Congratulations!
A must read if a fan of Catherine Cookson. Janet M Trotter gives new understanding to another prolific writer. Congratulations!
March 23, 2017
Fantastic conclusion to this set. I am sad it's finished. This was the story of Catherine Cookson and what a life she had, what an inspiration she was and her mam Kate's story was harrowing, I can't speak highly enough for this series.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews