The Invitation

by Catherine Cookson, Neville Dear (Illustrator)

Maggie Gallacher had all but read the print off the elegant, gold-trimmed card. An invitation from, the Duke of Moorshire to an evening at Lea Hall? She could still scarcely believe her eyes, even if it was a long-overdue honour - after all her husband Rod had done for the town.

There were a lot of Gallachers around Fellburn, and all were equally incredulous. Their Mam was a big-hearted woman, with a laugh to match, but was she really the type to go hob-nobbing with the aristocracy? It would be a night to remember, all right!

And indeed it was. But had Maggie, or any of the Gallachers, foreseen how it would turn out, how irrevocably it would change the lives of all of them , she would have torn that invitation into tiny pieces and thrown them on the fire...

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Historical Fiction

251 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Catherine Cookson was born in Tyne Dock, the illegitimate daughter of a poverty-stricken woman, Kate, who Catherine believed was her older sister. Catherine began work in service but eventually moved south to Hastings, where she met and married Tom Cookson, a local grammar-school master.

Although she was originally acclaimed as a regional writer - her novel The Round Tower won the Winifred Holtby Award for the best regional novel of 1968 - her readership quickly spread throughout the world, and her many best-selling novels established her as one of the most popular contemporary woman novelist. She received an OBE in 1985, was created a Dame of the British Empire in 1993, and was appointed an Honorary Fellow of St Hilda's College, Oxford, in 1997.

For many years she lived near Newcastle upon Tyne.

Reviews

[Shirley Revill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not many people could weave a tale like Catherine Cookson. Storytelling at it's best. Recommended.

[Louise Culmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book packed with incident. When I was halfway through there had already been adultery, sadism, attempted murder, and suicide. And still more excitement to come. Catherine Cookson knew how to tell a story that makes you eager to find out what happens next. And there aren’t that many novels which feature a fat middle aged mother of six as the heroine. Maggie Gallagher, unpromising material to begin with, turns out to be a force to be reckoned with. It’s all great fun.

[Stephanie-Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Invitation

Excellent story as usual for Miss Cookson
I'vd read so many of her books anc enjoyed this one vefy much.

[Gayathri Jayakumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was quite a surprise to me. I have not been a person who enjoyed any sort of books that talked of the life of a person or a family to see them made and unmade and made again to reach some sort of a balance with their share of tragedies in between, all the human follies, their years and doubts and fear and happiness. But contrary to what i had thought myself capable of enjoying this book swept me away on the exact things I did not particularly enjoy and made them all endearing in a sort of way. It all starts with an Invitation to the Gallancher family to a musical soiree from the Duke! And there starts the excitement and quite unexpected unfurling of various characters that drives their own family to a point of shock and shatter. There is some sort of pleasure in the way the character's fate are mete out and the writer takes the story in a pace where the readers long for the story to go, but does all the expected things to surprise the reader as well. It's been a while I've written something good after I've read a book and this book was good enough to break that spell and prompted me to word out these here in utter fascination to this book and what it has made me do. I never thought I'd finish this book once I started reading it, but we'll i finished it in two days! If i had more time a day id have done it in one!

[Lili · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read all of Catherine Cookson's books some years ago and enjoyed them immensley. I recently re-read all of them and find that on a second look I found them all so very predictable, and was rather disappointed. However I'm sure that it is my tastes that have changed not the calibre of her story telling.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie Gallacher and her husband Rod have received an invitation to attend a musical soiree at the home of the Duke of Moorshire. The family is incredulous. Rod is a building contractor and has come far in the town of Fellburn where Maggie has been at home and raised a family. The story is rather slow going at first but quickly picks up pace when finally at the soiree Maggie makes a huge faux pas with her comment of the Duke. We then meet Rosamunde and learn of her part in Rod's success and his side life.
If Maggie could have foreseen the tragedy this invitation would cause she might have ripped it to pieces. What turns into a rather depressing story all turns out well in the end. An enjoyable read...except for those first few chapters that are rather repetitive.

[Jol Rose Maughan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I got into this book I couldn’t put it down.

Catherine Cookson at her finest!

I was so proud of the lead character as the story progressed but the ending ruined it for me and was entirely out of character with how Maggie had developed.

I literally threw the book across the floor in disgust lol

Rose

[Marcia Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

always loved this book

Asalways, Catherine Cookson gets right into the heart of the people of whom she writes. Which draw you in and extract, empathy and sympathy. Their problems are your problems. Their triumphs are your triumphs. Not every author has that gift. I have read this lots of times since the 70s, and I still love the book

[Melanie Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story but some left out

I read this book several times tears ago and really enjoy it. However I think an important section was left out..where Maggie confronts Rod about his affair.

[Shirley Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

CC at her finest. A beautifully written absorbing story filled with betrayal, tragedy, love and at times, humour. Some characters I loved, some I hated but I felt every emotion the matriarch of the family felt. A gripping book from the first to the last word.

[Maria Del · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mediano

Después de leer The Moth me pareció muy pobre esta novela. Tal vez si hubiera pasado un tiempo entre una y otra, The Invitation me hubiera parecido mejor.

[Joti Stratton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Catherine Cookson, her books could be applied to any era, any decade!! Great writing, great characters, great storyline.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not read a Catherine Cookson book for many years, but I am pleased I read this. A lot of the talk was very familiar to me and the story though simple was an enjoyable read.

[Lynn Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another well written story with complex family dynamics and the impact following a simple invitation and implosion it causes amongst the Gallacher family. A really good read.
Synopsis:
When the Gallachers received an invitation from the Duke of Moorshire to attend an evening at Lea Hall, Maggie was overwhelmed. She could still scarcely believe her eyes, even if it was a long-overdue honour – after all her husband Rod had done for the town. She did not see the invitation as the rock on which she was to perish; nor was she prepared for the reaction of her family. Her son Paul, daughter Elizabeth and daughter-in-law Arlette were as delighted as she was but the effect on Sam, Arlette’s husband, was to bring his smouldering hatred of his mother to flashpoint.

But had Maggie, or any of the Gallachers, foreseen how it would turn out, how irrevocably it would change the lives of the family she loved so dearly, she would have torn that invitation into tiny pieces and thrown them all on the fire.

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always think if a story can have me laughing or bring a tear to my eye's, then i am enjoying the story. This is a very touching story, and it did indeed bring a tear to my eye on more than one occasion.
All the emotions are here: love, hate, jealousy, greed, and the rest. Catherine Cooksons has used her pallet to paint another very good story for us, her readers.

This is my second time around Catherine Cooksons books, and I'm enjoying them even more this time around.
My favourite author 😍

[Janet Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

A favourite read.

[Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young couple grows apart as he becomes successful and she grows plumper and ignorant in his eyes.