Joseph Jabeau was fatherless by the age of five; he grew up to defend himself and his country against the evilness and madness of Hitler by fighting in World War II. He returned home to face his selfish, overbearing mother and to battle against her ruthlessness and the many hidden secrets of the past.

I really did enjoy this book even though I have found that some of Catherine Cookson's books that I've read in the past do become somewhat repetitive in their themes. I would say that as I began reading Catherine Cookson as a young adult (maybe college age or so), I really thought of her as one of my favorite authors. As I've grown older and continued reading Catherine Cookson throughout the years, she's become a little boring in her writing. However, I truly did enjoy this book and give it an A! ( )