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A Dinner of Herbs
A legacy of hatred can be a terrible force in life over which not even an enduring love and all the fruits of material success may prevail. Catherine Cookson explores this theme in a major novel that will absorb and enthral her readers as irresistibly as any she has written.
Roddy Greenbank was brought by his father to the remote Northumberland community of Langley in the autumn of 1807. Within hours of their arrival, however, the father meets a violent death and the boy is left with all memory gone of his past life.
Adopted and raised by old Kate Makepeace, Roddy found his closest companions in Hal Roystan and Mary Ellen Lee. These three stand at the heart of a richly eventful narrative that spans the first half of the nineteenth century, their lives lastingly intertwined by the inexorable demands of a strange and somewhat cruel destiny.
Roddy Greenbank was brought by his father to the remote Northumberland community of Langley in the autumn of 1807. Within hours of their arrival, however, the father meets a violent death and the boy is left with all memory gone of his past life.
Adopted and raised by old Kate Makepeace, Roddy found his closest companions in Hal Roystan and Mary Ellen Lee. These three stand at the heart of a richly eventful narrative that spans the first half of the nineteenth century, their lives lastingly intertwined by the inexorable demands of a strange and somewhat cruel destiny.
736 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
68 people are currently reading
563 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Cookson
502 books686 followersCatherine 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
April 25, 2020
An interesting book layout. Totally divided into three parts and to me each part seemed like a separate book. A large farming family in the 1800's timeline, the siblings however were not all an integral part of the book and the children that were featured made this a 4 star rating with solid character development, filled with a lot of hatred and a lot of love. Each part had 20 years pass by in the timeline of this family story and I would love to know how and why Cookson did it like that. A large book as well, reading this over 700 page paperback took me longer than usual, in these unusual times however the storyline was easy to read and digest. I have read some of Catherine Cookson's works and will again.
January 17, 2015
I used to read Catherine Cookson novels as a young girl, and always enjoyed them. "A Dinner of Herbs" was given to me, and I find I still enjoy her strong female characters and stories of hardship, cruelty and love conquering all. The tale covers 3 generations of a family living in the harsh conditions of a rural community in Northumberland at the beginning of the nineteenth century. It is perhaps interesting to note that the main protagonist in the beginning is a very sensitive if loud-mouthed woman who is likable. By the end of the novel this same character matures naturally into a rather nasty and selfish old woman, and our sympathies go towards other characters.
February 6, 2020
A huge fan of Catherine Cookson her stories are gritty hard telling of Northumberland in the 1800’s
This tale of Roddy Greenbank his early days with his father to his life with Kate Makepiece & his friendships
Great book
This tale of Roddy Greenbank his early days with his father to his life with Kate Makepiece & his friendships
Great book
September 29, 2021
At over 700 pages, this is one of Cookson's longest books.
Spanning 3 generations, the story covers the lives, loves, and murders within a family.
Despite the size of the book, I read it quite quickly and enjoyed seeing the characters age and develop.
Spanning 3 generations, the story covers the lives, loves, and murders within a family.
Despite the size of the book, I read it quite quickly and enjoyed seeing the characters age and develop.
January 4, 2018
Absolutely brilliant story that I really enjoyed. Easy to read but very hard to put down.
November 21, 2014
"Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith." What a great read and introduction to Catherine Cookson! This is a family saga set in the 1800s and spans four generations. The characters are well-developed and the writing is excellent. I didn't want the story to end!
November 10, 2022
This is one of my favourites of Catherine Cookson's novels that I've read thus far. I am a little biased in this regard as 1) It is primarily set in the Regency period (with the last parts of the book taking place in the early Victorian era) which makes it all the more delicious to me, and 2) It's mainly set in Haydon Bridge and Hexham and surrounding areas, which is where most of my immediate maternal family are from. But this feels like Cookson at her best, a sprawling familial saga covering several generations of the same connected families, which is Cookson's forte. She makes you care about characters from each generation too. For example, I loved Mary Ellen Lee, but then I also loved her daughters, Kate and Maggie Royston. And so on and so forth.
There's a message at the heart of this story too, a moral tale that Cookson delivers without being preachy or moralising. It's the message that hate destroys, and love builds. A simple lesson but in A Dinner of Herbs, it comes at the heart of a vivid drama and a masterly portrayal of working class lives in the North East of England c. early 1800s, and you really feel like you've learnt it.
I always recommend listening to Cookson's books in audio format (particularly if they are read by the masterful Anne Dover, as this one was) because these books thrive off of their Geordie and Northumbrian dialect. To hear the characters speak as Cookson truly intended brings everything to life in vivid colour.
My only criticism of this novel, really, is that some parts of Cookson's writing have not aged well, to put it mildly. Bearing in mind that the characters in A Dinner of Herbs are supposed to be complex and have the popular prejudices of their time & setting, it was still uncomfortable to hear derogatory things about the Irish, about the Romani, and about Native Americans, especially as these things were never really challenged or questioned. It's a shame because Cookson has shown in other books, like Colour Blind, that she could be open-minded, even radical, in her portrayal of people of different races and ethnicities and her portrayal of racism, and besides, she displays her characters frequently asking themselves and others poignant questions about, say, prejudice against women (specifically sex workers)....the question being, if Cookson was still alive and I could pose it to her, why do you handle race and ethnicity so differently? Are your characters capable of recognising their own sexism, but not their own racism or xenophobia?
All in all, though, a fabulous offering.
There's a message at the heart of this story too, a moral tale that Cookson delivers without being preachy or moralising. It's the message that hate destroys, and love builds. A simple lesson but in A Dinner of Herbs, it comes at the heart of a vivid drama and a masterly portrayal of working class lives in the North East of England c. early 1800s, and you really feel like you've learnt it.
I always recommend listening to Cookson's books in audio format (particularly if they are read by the masterful Anne Dover, as this one was) because these books thrive off of their Geordie and Northumbrian dialect. To hear the characters speak as Cookson truly intended brings everything to life in vivid colour.
My only criticism of this novel, really, is that some parts of Cookson's writing have not aged well, to put it mildly. Bearing in mind that the characters in A Dinner of Herbs are supposed to be complex and have the popular prejudices of their time & setting, it was still uncomfortable to hear derogatory things about the Irish, about the Romani, and about Native Americans, especially as these things were never really challenged or questioned. It's a shame because Cookson has shown in other books, like Colour Blind, that she could be open-minded, even radical, in her portrayal of people of different races and ethnicities and her portrayal of racism, and besides, she displays her characters frequently asking themselves and others poignant questions about, say, prejudice against women (specifically sex workers)....the question being, if Cookson was still alive and I could pose it to her, why do you handle race and ethnicity so differently? Are your characters capable of recognising their own sexism, but not their own racism or xenophobia?
All in all, though, a fabulous offering.
November 7, 2010
Always and forever, my favorite author.
July 17, 2025
As another reviewer stated, an amazing book is easy to read hard to put down I loved it.
June 6, 2019
Well this book did really blow my mind 💢💥... I mean this is one eventful novel, just when you think that one event is almost over another one rise to the surface..
This novel 📖 takes place in the country sides of England🇬🇧 during 1800+ years and it is composed of four main chapters each one handles an era in the main characters 👨👩👦👦 life (and they are many, some disappear for good others keep coming back for a little while)...and since I mentioned where this novel took place i must say that the language the author 🖋used in dialogues 🗨 can be a little bit tricky, you might feel a little awkward 😶when you first read them but... you'll get used to them 😅
It all starts with 2 boys 👬and one girl 👧, one of the boys (Roddy) suffers from memory loss after he went through a terrible incident that took his father's life only to be raised by (Kate) 👵 a women trusted and respected by many including Roddy's father, and she remained a mystery for every one who knew her.
Roddy was trailed through his childhood and early adulthood by (Hal) and (Merry Allen), who were both always at each other's throats fighting for Roddy's attention and affection.
One day through an unexpected and certainly unbelievable twist in events Roddy gets his memory back, almost everybody's masks 🎭 fall off and their real faces come out to the open including his... The rest... well..you will have to find out for yourselves 😉😆
One last thing though... You know when they say "It's in their blood" when referring to a charstrisric defect/s in someone's manners or personality.... Now this novel got me thinking is this statement true? can bad things like hate😤, envy 👀and evil 😈 be transfered to someone from their forefathers, or are they molded into their characters by the way they get treated or by whatever they had to go through? 🤔
Anyway 🤗 enjoy... 😉
This novel 📖 takes place in the country sides of England🇬🇧 during 1800+ years and it is composed of four main chapters each one handles an era in the main characters 👨👩👦👦 life (and they are many, some disappear for good others keep coming back for a little while)...and since I mentioned where this novel took place i must say that the language the author 🖋used in dialogues 🗨 can be a little bit tricky, you might feel a little awkward 😶when you first read them but... you'll get used to them 😅
It all starts with 2 boys 👬and one girl 👧, one of the boys (Roddy) suffers from memory loss after he went through a terrible incident that took his father's life only to be raised by (Kate) 👵 a women trusted and respected by many including Roddy's father, and she remained a mystery for every one who knew her.
Roddy was trailed through his childhood and early adulthood by (Hal) and (Merry Allen), who were both always at each other's throats fighting for Roddy's attention and affection.
One day through an unexpected and certainly unbelievable twist in events Roddy gets his memory back, almost everybody's masks 🎭 fall off and their real faces come out to the open including his... The rest... well..you will have to find out for yourselves 😉😆
One last thing though... You know when they say "It's in their blood" when referring to a charstrisric defect/s in someone's manners or personality.... Now this novel got me thinking is this statement true? can bad things like hate😤, envy 👀and evil 😈 be transfered to someone from their forefathers, or are they molded into their characters by the way they get treated or by whatever they had to go through? 🤔
Anyway 🤗 enjoy... 😉
December 16, 2023
I wish the author fleshed out the love story more on the characters Mary Ellen and Hal's romance were cute but I would love it more if she developed their story more or like write more scene to develop the romance of the characters and this is the same for Maggie and Willy too, Willy just jumped out of nowhere in the story after the 10+ years time jump of the story I wish they characterized him more fleshen his story and more depth into it. That's just my complaints on this story, I love Kate and Ben's romance I think that's where the story peaked and got more entertaining, and I won't mention John and Yvonne that shit is problematic as hell
January 8, 2013
My favourite book I have ever read. I first read it as a teenager and get as much from it reading it for the 10th time as I did the first time. I usually end up sitting up all night to read it. Such a well-written story of hardship and love, had me laughing one minute and crying the next, it stirs all the emotions and leaves you exhausted at the end. I will have to dig it out again, been a while since the last read.
May 13, 2010
Probably one of my favourite Catherine Cookson books. My mum recommended it to me because she thought it was her favourite book she had read.
I like the way Catherine Cookson writes. I love the old time settings she creates and the research she puts into knowing about the era and what went on in those times.
I like the way Catherine Cookson writes. I love the old time settings she creates and the research she puts into knowing about the era and what went on in those times.
August 26, 2013
Ms Cookson's books are supreme reading. Her biography is extremely interesting. She began writing novels in order to help the severe depression she had. She ended up writing over 150 books. Every book I've read that she's written has held my interest.
January 4, 2018
I have read a lot of Catherine Cookson and enjoy them all but this would be her best out of all I have read so far.
March 17, 2023
This woman is a storyteller par excellence!
October 28, 2023
This story covers three generations of three friends. Starting as children, we follow them through a sometimes hard life full of love and hate. It is a tremendous time investment, but not a difficult read. Saw the TV series first and as usual, the book was better! Recommend to those who have a bit of time to spare.
August 31, 2024
the story line and events were really interesting and I liked to live it through with characters but unfortunately this style of writing is not for me. in my opinion - dragged out, lots of conversations could be left out. last 200 pages just skipped.
July 12, 2018
Slow to get started but as always Mrs. Cookson’s characters develope along the way and roll to a nice ending...
August 27, 2019
I really like this one. Opened my mind in ways. CC does it again.
January 31, 2021
Aunt Kate a caring lady, friendship of 2 boys and a girl that has so many ups and downs as they age. Hard work not being rewarded. Revenge vs justice.
June 24, 2021
First read this book 42 years ago loved all her books but this was my favourite loved it then loved it now so many twists and turns nail biting stuff
July 2, 2024
Love how it follows the life of all 3 characters
April 2, 2025
Another great book by Catherine Cookson. One of her longer ones but still full of romance and troubles.
November 27, 2012
I put off reading this book for months as it is old - written in the 80's. When I finally got to reading it, I was pleasantly surprised. The story is very good, about a working family in 18th century England and their hatreds and loves and how they reconciled the two. The dialogues were put together quite nicely - so much so that the emotions were clearly displayed - innuendoes, seething words, loving words, words that brought peace, words that brought understanding, words full of rage. 5 superstars for me!!
June 22, 2010
One of my favourite Cookson books of all time. It is a long read, but a good one!
As in most of Cookson's books she writes with strong female characters overcoming some miserable circumstance or misfortune. I also love the English accents given her characters. If you like books set in old England and well developed characters, you will enjoy books by Catherine Cookson!
As in most of Cookson's books she writes with strong female characters overcoming some miserable circumstance or misfortune. I also love the English accents given her characters. If you like books set in old England and well developed characters, you will enjoy books by Catherine Cookson!
May 18, 2012
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.
June 15, 2020
I did not like this book at all. It was nothing at all to do with the writing. The main characters were not likeable or sympathetic at all. The story is about the tumultuous relationship of Roddy, Hal, and Mary Ellen, whose flawed lives include murder, passion, betrayal, and revenge. I struggled with the hatred that carried on for decades after. I could not even give it a 2nd reading!
November 21, 2008
Another great book from this author.
Back Cover Blurb:
Roddy Greenbank was brought by his father to the remote Northumberland community of Langley in the autumn of 1807. Within hours of their arrival, however, the father had met with a violent death and the boy was left with all memory gone.
Back Cover Blurb:
Roddy Greenbank was brought by his father to the remote Northumberland community of Langley in the autumn of 1807. Within hours of their arrival, however, the father had met with a violent death and the boy was left with all memory gone.
July 9, 2007
A facsinating story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews