The Catherine Cookson Collection: Set 1

Catherine Cookson (1906-98) was an incredibly prolific bestselling author (penning 97 novels in all) of historical romances, although her yarns weren't strictly bodice-rippers, as they often commented on serious subjects such as the harshness of Britain's class system, the ideological rigidity of earlier generations, and the characteristic stiff-upper-lip repression of emotions. Cookson licensed many of her works for adaptation on both the large and small screens, and this boxed set collects four of the made-for-TV films. The Wingless Bird (1997) takes place in the turbulent days just before World War I, when a shopkeeper's daughter has a profound effect on three very different families. The Moth (1997), which unfolds in the same time period, chronicles a life-changing encounter between a talented carpenter and an ethereal girl-child. The Victorian age serves as backdrop for The Rag Nymph (1997), a story about an old woman who adopts the young daughter of a prostitute. And The Fifteen Streets (1989) dramatizes the star-crossed romance of a rugged dockworker and the daughter of a wealthy shipbuilder. Graced with feature-quality production values and terrific casts, these films may well win Cookson new fans on this side of the Atlantic. DVD extras include a text biography of Cookson and cast filmographies. Recommended. (E. Hulse)