Becky

by E.V. Thompson

377 pages. Book is in Very good condition throughout. A Poignant And Involving Love Story That Vividly Portrays The Bristol Of The Mid-nineteenth Century.

Genres: Historical Fiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

aka James Munro (Not this James Munro).

E V Thompson was born in London and spent nine years in the Navy before joining Bristol police. He moved to Hong Kong, then Rhodesia and had over 200 stories published before returning to England to become a full-time award-winning writer.

Reviews

[TamW · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely re-read a book, but I read this one when I was 18 (possibly younger) and it has stuck with me all these 22 (or more) years – the characters names, the slums they lived in, the stolen watch, the sketching, painting, the jail cell, the dress shop, but mostly the feelings....And I wanted to know if my experience reading the book 22 years later would be the same. As much as I remembered all those parts, I still often didn’t know what was coming next and I certainly didn’t remember how it ended – but I did remember the devastation....the moment I set the book down and cried, not believing it ended that way, but also realizing it could only possibly have ended that way – it was a natural, realistic, authentic ending.....but I didn’t just cry for the ending, but rather I cried at the ending for the entire tragedy of the story....

More to come.....(I just need a bit more time in my day to finish my review)

[Eric Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

E V Thompson wrote many fine historical novels and ,while he was popular, he never seemed to get the acclaim much of his work deserved . Becky is my personal favourite and I reread it every 4/5 years so this is about my 6th read. It tells the story of a young urchin - with no surname - living her life in the slums of Bristol in the 19th Century. It reminds readers that life is no more than an accident of birth. Everyone in their teens and twenties should read this book , beginning with the multitude of young reviewers with Goodreads . I would avidly read what they had to say about it and have no doubt that the story would enhance their education.

[Lyn Stapleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story from this author.

[Lindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book but the last page was a little disappointing as it finished abruptly and hanging so to speak.

[Nik Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impecunious artist Fergus Vincent arrives in Lewin’s Mead, a slum area in Bristol in the early 1850s. He’s seeking a friend and mentor, Henry who lives there. Henry told him ‘A good artist is accepted wherever he chooses to work, but he must observe the rules there – their code. Break that code and he might as well pack up and leave.’

Fergus virtually trips over an urchin as he’s seeking his friend. Becky, the unkempt girl of about fourteen summers offers to take him to the attic room, informing him that Henry died from alcoholism, owing rent.

With Becky’s aid, Fergus finds his friend’s abode, which is filled with drawings and paintings that will serve to pay for the outstanding rent. On an impulse, Fergus decides to rent the room himself.

Thompson immerses you in the story immediately, with plenty of colourful description and characterisation and humour. His landlady, Ida Stokes is a hard case but with a good heart. Becky soon realises that Fergus has considerable artistic talent when he quickly sketches her admiring some birds outside the attic window. This first sketch will become a much-prized painting much later. Becky is bold, irreverent and says what she feels. ‘You’ve drawn the me that’s inside. Not the me that other people see…. I’m not sure I like it.’

Having been invalided out of the navy, Fergus hasn’t a lot of money. That’s why he elected to live in this attic room, as it was cheap. He grasped the idea that he would sketch the people of the slums, those on the dockside and in the taverns, and perhaps he could earn enough to live off his efforts.

Gradually, he becomes accepted by the local populace, the police, and particularly Becky. There’s nothing untoward between him and the girl, but he does become very fond of her and sketches her a great deal. At one point, he comes into contact with Fanny Tennant, the daughter of an alderman and a teacher of poor children. Fanny becomes his champion, wanting him to succeed in his art. Unfortunately jealousy is aroused in Becky’s breast and problems arise.

Throughout, Thompson presents the unpalatable but real situation for the slum dwellers. There are good souls who want to help, like Fanny. But it seems that the majority of the Bristol upper class would rather turn a blind eye. This is brought to a head when Fergus gets involved with the plight of a number of Irish immigrants who become prey to cholera. Women and children die, and they’re shunted out of the area, without much medical aid. Fergus recorded their harrowing ordeal with his sketches and managed to prick many a conscience.

The relationship between Fergus and Becky is fraught with obstacles, and their friends suffer too. There don’t seem to be any easy answers; how do you pull yourself out of the slum environment and make something of your life? For able-bodied men, they could join the army or navy, but for the women, there was little hope. Thompson captures the despair and the injustice of the time.

The ending is not a happy one. Yet there is a sequel, Lewin’s Mead (1996) which returns to the travails of gutsy Becky in the slum. I have yet to read that, but the romantic in me hopes for a happy ending, even if real life at that time probably had very few of those.