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Dear Fred
Thirteen-year-old Laura falls in love with celebrated jockey Fred Archer in the racing world of Newmarket, England, in the 1880s.
- GenresHistoricalHorses
264 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1981
26 people want to read
About the author
K.M. Peyton
109 books149 followersKathleen Wendy Herald Peyton MBE, who wrote primarily as K. M. Peyton, was a British author of fiction for children and young adults
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 11, 2011
I finished this and I realised that I don't ever remember reading a bad book from KM Peyton. I genuinely feel that she is one of the most undersung authors in the world of children's literature.
Stylistically reminiscent of Antonia Forest (with the precision of language both authors use) and the Pullein-Thompson sisters (if they'd written about ponies and then about falling in mad passionate love with the stableboy), KM Peyton is constantly outstanding. And Dear Fred is no exception.
Based initially around Laura's lust-filled obsession for champion jockey Fred Archer and set in late nineteenth century Newmarket, this novel features horses, love and a healthy dollop of magic.
Peyton writes emotion so well. The confusing, dominating, soul-consuming nature of a first crush and then the mad emotional maelstrom / utter banality of love. She pitches it so beautifully; understanding that sometimes this emotion is everything and then at other times, it's nothing. She's one of the few writers who can really handle love and present it 'warts and all' without wishing to romanticise the experience. Relationships like Laura and Tiger or Ruth and Pennington (Beethoven Medal) are real. Vivid. Horrible, Mad. Dull. Banal. Beautiful. Real.
What I also love about KM Peyton is her ability to give depth to the adults in her series. They're not sidekicks. They're also not automatically right because they're adults. They mess up equally if not more than the apparantly juvenile protagonists.
KM Peyton makes you feel the world she creates. Reading her books is always a transformative experience. And I love them. I really really love them.
Stylistically reminiscent of Antonia Forest (with the precision of language both authors use) and the Pullein-Thompson sisters (if they'd written about ponies and then about falling in mad passionate love with the stableboy), KM Peyton is constantly outstanding. And Dear Fred is no exception.
Based initially around Laura's lust-filled obsession for champion jockey Fred Archer and set in late nineteenth century Newmarket, this novel features horses, love and a healthy dollop of magic.
Peyton writes emotion so well. The confusing, dominating, soul-consuming nature of a first crush and then the mad emotional maelstrom / utter banality of love. She pitches it so beautifully; understanding that sometimes this emotion is everything and then at other times, it's nothing. She's one of the few writers who can really handle love and present it 'warts and all' without wishing to romanticise the experience. Relationships like Laura and Tiger or Ruth and Pennington (Beethoven Medal) are real. Vivid. Horrible, Mad. Dull. Banal. Beautiful. Real.
What I also love about KM Peyton is her ability to give depth to the adults in her series. They're not sidekicks. They're also not automatically right because they're adults. They mess up equally if not more than the apparantly juvenile protagonists.
KM Peyton makes you feel the world she creates. Reading her books is always a transformative experience. And I love them. I really really love them.
February 2, 2014
I bought this out of nostalgia - I remember it having a big impact on me when I was around 10 years old (and felt at the time it was probably a bit too old for me). Loved rereading it, glad they finally got around to rereleasing it.
I'm not sure what age group it's intended for, but due to some of the topics covered, I'd probably suggest 15+.
I'm not sure what age group it's intended for, but due to some of the topics covered, I'd probably suggest 15+.
February 3, 2013
Favourite childhood author who read my first attempt at a book when I was 17, despite having never met me!
December 23, 2025
A new book for me from a favourite author - with insights and good background on racing in Newmarket in the 1880s using the tragic story of champion jockey Fred Archer as an anchor.
May 23, 2015
Like many other girls, young Laura Keen is in love with champion jockey Fred Archer. But Laura has an advantage -- her uncle Harry is a trainer at Newmarket, so she has a chance to actually meet, and ride, with dear Fred.
When Harry takes in a runaway, whom Laura calls Tiger, she transfers some of her love to him. Until a surprise revelation makes her uncomfortable in his company.
They watch as Fred's career skyrockets, all the while wondering if and when disaster will strike.
While marketed as a young-adult book, personally I found some of the content inappropriate for teenagers (especially considering that this book was published in 1981).
When Harry takes in a runaway, whom Laura calls Tiger, she transfers some of her love to him. Until a surprise revelation makes her uncomfortable in his company.
They watch as Fred's career skyrockets, all the while wondering if and when disaster will strike.
While marketed as a young-adult book, personally I found some of the content inappropriate for teenagers (especially considering that this book was published in 1981).
January 17, 2016
A coming of age story of a young Victorian era girl, set around the horse racing world of Newmarket. Fred Archer was the premier jockey of the day, and Laura's hero worship of him is the center of her world.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews