Pure As A Lily Author:Catherine Cookson Life was not easy during the Depression, and nowhere was it harder than in the north of England. For young Mary Walton, there seemed to be no way out--her father chronically unemployed, her mother a whine, her brother irresponsible. Then Mary became housekeeper for a rich widower and life took on a happier hue. Catherine Cookson never rele... more »ases her characters entirely from their early circumstances, and in this book she gives us enough sweep so we can participate with Mary as she works out her destiny.« less