SET in south London at the turn of the 20th century, A Child's Voice Calling is certainly not my cup of tea, but Catherine Cookson fans the world over will lap it up.

The book follows the life of Mabel Court, born into a life of misery and poverty in south London.

This is Urmston based writer Maggie Bennett's first novel and when I first picked it up I have to admit I was a little disappointed to see she had set the saga in London.

And I can't help but feel that if Bennett had transported the actions of this book to Manchester and tackled the issues of poverty in the area it may have set this novel apart from so many others. We may even have Manchester's answer to Catherine Cookson.

The tale of Mabel's struggles and tragic life is still a compelling read, as she struggles to bring up her younger brothers and sisters with the fear of poverty never far from the door.

And the way Mabel copes when the battle to remain respectable is lost and the family breaks up.

Bennett draws on her considerable experiences as a nurse and midwife in this book and some of the medical references are rather descriptive during the initial labour as Mabel's mum waits to give birth to the protagonist. But if you can get through this and the overly descriptive prose, the Hampshire born author tells a gripping tale of pain, misery and love.

A Child's Voice Calling is available in paperback from Arrow publishers from September 5 priced £5.99

Jenni Carroll