Fair Exchange

by Lynne Reid Banks

Sometimes strangers with little in common can forge a friendship as deep as their difference…

London and Dorset, 1989

Judy Priestman is a hardworking single mother who lives for her political causes and the comradery of her fellow anti-apartheid picketers.

Harriet Marshall is a lonely countryside homemaker trapped in a failing marriage, who seeks comfort in her Catholic faith.

Both women are haunted by traumatic secrets from the past.

And a chance meeting changes their lives forever.

It is the start of an unconventional friendship, a friendship that forces both women to question their beliefs — and ultimately seek the life the other has…

Fair Exchange is a story of hope, redemption and the comfort of female friendship, set in England during the
Anti-Apartheid Movement.

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Lynne Reid Banks is a British author of books for children and adults. She has written forty books, including the best-selling children's novel The Indian in the Cupboard, which has sold over 10 million copies and been made into a film.
Banks was born in London, the only child of James and Muriel Reid Banks. She was evacuated to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada during World War II but returned after the war was over. She attended St Teresa's School in Surrey. Prior to becoming a writer Banks was an actress, and also worked as a television journalist in Britain, one of the first women to do so. Her first novel, The L-Shaped Room, was published in 1960.
In 1962 Banks emigrated to Israel, where she taught for eight years on an Israeli kibbutz Yasur. In 1965 she married Chaim Stephenson, with whom she had three sons. Although the family returned to England in 1971 and Banks now lives in Dorset, the influence of her time in Israel can be seen in some of her books which are set partially or mainly on kibbutzim.

Reviews

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable and compelling story from Lynne Reid Banks, that so reliable master storyteller. This one is set in London and Dorset in 1989 and follows a motley group of people who come together by chance and whose lives are all altered by their meeting. In particular we meet Judy Priestman, a single mother and political activist from South Africa, committed to Nelson Mandela’s cause. Harriet Marshall is struggling with her life, her marriage, her religion and her son and events challenge her to find an unexpected inner strength. As usual with Lynne Reid Banks, the less said about the plot the better, as her writing is never predictable and one of the many pleasures in reading her is never knowing where events are going to lead. The novel is well-crafted, well-paced and well-plotted, tackling serious themes – apartheid, abortion, racism – through everyday reality. Thoughtful, insightful and a great read. Thanks to Sapere Books for reissuing so many of her titles.

[Jayne Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, thoughtfully written, adult book by Lynne Reid Banks. The two main characters are very believable - Harriet whose marriage is on the slide and whose son gets duffed up at the bus stop, and Judy who is clearly a white South African (she says 'Man' a lot). Interesting that after the 1960s ingrained racism of 'The L-Shaped Room' she tackled Apartheid head-on in this book. A good, thought provoking read set firmly in the real world.

[Lesley Tilling · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me right back to my student days when Thatcher was in Number Ten and we thought nothing worse could happen to our poor country. Mandela was still in jail and she refused to take out sanctions against South Africa. There was a constant protest outside the South African embassy and that's where the lovers of this story meet. Lynne Reid Banks shows herself to be understanding of people's emotional needs and the journey they go on. This book is almost an answer to the L-Shaped room in which a young woman gets pregnant and decides to keep the baby without the support of her family - this shows a situation where the family wants the baby but the young woman doesn't, and how that situation plays out. All the characters move on through political and personal turmoils, which though painful for them, is sometimes necessary for middle-aged people.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book I didn't know I had until I was replacing the four of Banks' I'd recently read on the correct shelf, Immediately readable, as ever, but for me the political activism somewhat alienating. Nevertheless a compelling book about marital relationships.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging, although themes get taken up and abandoned