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Fred & Edie
In the winter of 1922 Edith Thompson and her younger lover, Freddy Bywaters, were found guilty of murdering Percy Thompson, Edith's boorish husband. The two lovers were executed in a whirl of publicity in 1923. The case caused a sensation, a crime of passion that gripped the nation's imagination and became the raw material for Jill Dawson's sensual and captivating novel Fred and Edie, a fictional account of the lovers' romance and their subsequent trial, predominantly told through Edie's imaginary letters addressed to her lover, "Darlint Freddie". This is a remarkable novel, that brilliantly evokes the suburban world of 1920s London (T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land, published the same year as the trial, runs like a leitmotif throughout the novel). Edie, viewed from the public gallery as "silly, vain" is a superb literary creation--sensual, intelligent, articulate and liberated, bitterly denouncing in her letters to Freddy a world that denies "that our love might be a real love, on a par with other great loves. That just because you are from Norwood and work as a ship's laundry man and I grew up in Stamford Hill and read a certain kind of novel, we are not capable of true emotions, of having feelings and experiences that matter".
Dawson's novel gradually reveals that Edie's "crime" is actually her articulate, contradictory and assertive femininity. "I am not all sweetness and light" she insists, but it is her independent behaviour that ultimately stands trial, as Freddy becomes an increasingly enigmatic and questionable figure on the margins of the novel. Elegantly written and carefully researched, Fred and Edie is as passionate and assured as the tragic heroine it portrays. --Jerry Brotton
276 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
11 people are currently reading
866 people want to read
About the author
Jill Dawson
42 books98 followersJill Dawson was born in Durham and grew up in Staffordshire, Essex and Yorkshire. She read American Studies at the University of Nottingham, then took a series of short-term jobs in London before studying for an MA in Writing at Sheffield Hallam University. In 1997 she was the British Council Writing Fellow at Amherst College, Massachussets.
Her writing life began as a poet, her poems being published in a variety of small press magazines, and in one pamphlet collection, White Fish with Painted Nails (1990). She won an Eric Gregory Award for her poetry in 1992.
She edited several books for Virago, including The Virago Book of Wicked Verse (1992) and The Virago Book of Love Letters (1994). She has also edited a collection of short stories, School Tales: Stories by Young Women (1990), and with co-editor Margo Daly, Wild Ways: New Stories about Women on the Road (1998) and Gas and Air: Tales of Pregnancy and Birth (2002). She is the author of one book of non-fiction for teenagers, How Do I Look? (1991), which deals with the subject of self-esteem.
Jill Dawson is the author of five novels: Trick of the Light (1996); Magpie (1998), for which she won a London Arts Board New Writers Award; Fred and Edie (2000); Wild Boy (2003); and most recently, Watch Me Disappear (2006). Fred and Edie is based on the historic murder trial of Thompson and Bywaters, and was shortlisted for the 2000 Whitbread Novel Award and the 2001 Orange Prize for Fiction.
Her next novel, The Great Lover, is due for publication in early 2009.
Jill Dawson has taught Creative Writing for many years and was recently the Creative Writing Fellow at the University of East Anglia. She lives with her family in the Cambridgeshire Fens.
Her writing life began as a poet, her poems being published in a variety of small press magazines, and in one pamphlet collection, White Fish with Painted Nails (1990). She won an Eric Gregory Award for her poetry in 1992.
She edited several books for Virago, including The Virago Book of Wicked Verse (1992) and The Virago Book of Love Letters (1994). She has also edited a collection of short stories, School Tales: Stories by Young Women (1990), and with co-editor Margo Daly, Wild Ways: New Stories about Women on the Road (1998) and Gas and Air: Tales of Pregnancy and Birth (2002). She is the author of one book of non-fiction for teenagers, How Do I Look? (1991), which deals with the subject of self-esteem.
Jill Dawson is the author of five novels: Trick of the Light (1996); Magpie (1998), for which she won a London Arts Board New Writers Award; Fred and Edie (2000); Wild Boy (2003); and most recently, Watch Me Disappear (2006). Fred and Edie is based on the historic murder trial of Thompson and Bywaters, and was shortlisted for the 2000 Whitbread Novel Award and the 2001 Orange Prize for Fiction.
Her next novel, The Great Lover, is due for publication in early 2009.
Jill Dawson has taught Creative Writing for many years and was recently the Creative Writing Fellow at the University of East Anglia. She lives with her family in the Cambridgeshire Fens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
February 4, 2016
A captivating account of an impassioned and compelling love affair.
I found this to be a very gripping portrayal of the famous Thompson Bayswater murder trial.
What lengths would Edith go to be free of a love less marriage?
Even though I knew the ending I was engrossed in this rather sad tale.
I found this to be a very gripping portrayal of the famous Thompson Bayswater murder trial.
What lengths would Edith go to be free of a love less marriage?
Even though I knew the ending I was engrossed in this rather sad tale.
November 2, 2010
This was my first Jill Dawson novel, but by no means my last. Dawson takes the true story of Edith Thompson and Fred Bywaters and explores Edith's motivations and inner dialogue, using completely plausible literary license. Dawson uses a few of "Edie's" surviving letters, but makes most of them up, and finds a believable and interesting, if sometimes frustrating, voice for her protagonist. One aspect in particular was marvelously handled, and I was deeply impressed by Jill Dawson's technique in teasing it out. I love it when I think an author is writing about one thing, but then surprises me. It doesn't happen as often as I'd like, but when it does, I appreciate it all the more.
There are several layers to Fred & Edie. There is love story; there is legal procedural; there is media circus and Edie's self-examination. At various points, Edie wonders if a doctor's assessment of her, that she is "vain and silly," is fair. I thought so. At the beginning of the story, she's facing a truly catastrophic event, and her main concern is that she has to wear a rough gown rather than her own crepe de chine. Not a lady who is used to concerning herself with the "big picture."
I would have liked to have heard more from Fred in his own voice, rather than only seeing him through Edie's eyes, but it's very difficult to know, even using one's imagination, what he might have been feeling. When it comes right down to it, though the story involves them both, it's really her platform, and the other characters revolve around her.
I only deducted one star because the story took a while to get going, and I took a while to get past my frustration with Edie, rather than embracing it as part of the whole narrative. Once I made that adjustment, which took about 40 pages, I fell in love with the process. Included in this edition were acknowledgments referencing other books regarding Thompson and Bywaters; I'll be checking into those.
There are several layers to Fred & Edie. There is love story; there is legal procedural; there is media circus and Edie's self-examination. At various points, Edie wonders if a doctor's assessment of her, that she is "vain and silly," is fair. I thought so. At the beginning of the story, she's facing a truly catastrophic event, and her main concern is that she has to wear a rough gown rather than her own crepe de chine. Not a lady who is used to concerning herself with the "big picture."
I would have liked to have heard more from Fred in his own voice, rather than only seeing him through Edie's eyes, but it's very difficult to know, even using one's imagination, what he might have been feeling. When it comes right down to it, though the story involves them both, it's really her platform, and the other characters revolve around her.
I only deducted one star because the story took a while to get going, and I took a while to get past my frustration with Edie, rather than embracing it as part of the whole narrative. Once I made that adjustment, which took about 40 pages, I fell in love with the process. Included in this edition were acknowledgments referencing other books regarding Thompson and Bywaters; I'll be checking into those.
April 20, 2008
While I could appreciate the quality of Dawson's writing, I have to confess that I rather struggled with this book. The technique of telling the tale through Edie's letters to Fred was interesting, but I didn't find that I emotionally engaged with Edie - and was, I'm afraid, rather unmoved by her final fate. Her 'silliness' did diminish through the novel, but not enough to make me care an awful lot what happened to her.
March 16, 2016
This came in the mail last week, a BookCrossing bookring. I didn’t like it at first. Fred and Edie, I learned, are murderers. They fell in love with each other and Edie’s husband was in the way. The two teamed up to kill him and be free to be together. Of course, it did not work out as they had planned and both Fred and Edie ended up in jail for murder.
Fred and Edie is based on a true story. Edie wrote letters to Fred and the trials of the two were heavily publicized; the author used these to create this book.
The book is written mostly as letters Edie wrote to Fred, with a few newspaper articles interspersed in the story. Most of the letters are the author’s invention, but a few are actual letters written by Edie and all the newspaper articles are genuine.
I liked the book more as I read along. Edie and Fred were not glorified in the book, nor condemned, but, instead, were revealed to be real human beings, doing things that were both good and bad.
Fred and Edie is based on a true story. Edie wrote letters to Fred and the trials of the two were heavily publicized; the author used these to create this book.
The book is written mostly as letters Edie wrote to Fred, with a few newspaper articles interspersed in the story. Most of the letters are the author’s invention, but a few are actual letters written by Edie and all the newspaper articles are genuine.
I liked the book more as I read along. Edie and Fred were not glorified in the book, nor condemned, but, instead, were revealed to be real human beings, doing things that were both good and bad.
November 5, 2020
The book was shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread Novel of the Year in 2000. It is loosely based on the real-life murder case of Edith (Edie) Thompson and Freddy Bywaters, who were hanged in January 1923 for the murder of Edith's husband Percy. It is written as a series of letters from Edie in her jail to Fred in his, where they are both awaiting trial. Hoping at first to smuggle the letters out, Edie decides not to actually convey them to Fred, which frees her to be more frank. The letters are interspersed with authentic newspaper articles from the time, and a first-person present-tense narrative that gives the back story....
Dawson has been able to use the real-life letters that were tendered in the court as a model for Edie's voice in this fictionalized account. Edie's awakening sexuality, even with the boorish Percy in her heightened sense of attraction, is well described, and the fictional letters capture well the giddiness and rashness of early infatuation. ...
There's a fantastic website put together by one of her biographers Rene Weiss that can be found at https://edithjessiethompson.co.uk/ that includes all the authentic letters, an entire copy of Weiss' book, photographs, and current news. I enjoyed the book in its own right, but I must admit that my admiration for Dawson's book increased further when I saw the source material from which she drew to write her own fictional account.
Read my entire review at:
https://residentjudge.com/2020/11/05/...
Dawson has been able to use the real-life letters that were tendered in the court as a model for Edie's voice in this fictionalized account. Edie's awakening sexuality, even with the boorish Percy in her heightened sense of attraction, is well described, and the fictional letters capture well the giddiness and rashness of early infatuation. ...
There's a fantastic website put together by one of her biographers Rene Weiss that can be found at https://edithjessiethompson.co.uk/ that includes all the authentic letters, an entire copy of Weiss' book, photographs, and current news. I enjoyed the book in its own right, but I must admit that my admiration for Dawson's book increased further when I saw the source material from which she drew to write her own fictional account.
Read my entire review at:
https://residentjudge.com/2020/11/05/...
December 3, 2024
Jill Dawson’s Fred and Edie offers a compelling and nuanced portrayal of a historical crime that has intrigued many for decades. Having been fascinated by the case myself, I appreciated how the author faithfully maintained the "was she, wasn't she" ambiguity regarding Edith Thompson's guilt. This delicate balance kept the tension palpable throughout the narrative.
The author skilfully represents the key characters, bringing them to life with depth and authenticity. The letters penned in Edie's name are particularly inspired, adding layers to her character and fuelling the mystery surrounding the events leading to Percy Thompson’s murder by Fred Bywaters. These letters provide a window into Edie's psyche, blurring the lines between victim and accomplice.
The book excels in capturing the atmosphere of the period, immersing readers in the social and cultural context of the early 20th century. Dawson's meticulous attention to detail enhances the storytelling, making it a riveting read from start to finish.
Fred and Edie earns a well-deserved four stars for its masterful storytelling, rich character development, and the compelling exploration of a case that continues to provoke debate and speculation. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in true crime and historical fiction.
The author skilfully represents the key characters, bringing them to life with depth and authenticity. The letters penned in Edie's name are particularly inspired, adding layers to her character and fuelling the mystery surrounding the events leading to Percy Thompson’s murder by Fred Bywaters. These letters provide a window into Edie's psyche, blurring the lines between victim and accomplice.
The book excels in capturing the atmosphere of the period, immersing readers in the social and cultural context of the early 20th century. Dawson's meticulous attention to detail enhances the storytelling, making it a riveting read from start to finish.
Fred and Edie earns a well-deserved four stars for its masterful storytelling, rich character development, and the compelling exploration of a case that continues to provoke debate and speculation. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in true crime and historical fiction.
July 25, 2021
This was supposed to be salacious and interesting and fast-paced and instead it was just kind of slow and boring. The story of Fred & Edie is all of the things I wanted this book to be, but the way Dawson chose to write it just really diluted all of those things down until all we were left with was a book that left much to be desired and really would have benefited from quotation marks. Seriously, there were huge chunks I had to go back and re-read because I thought it was in a character's head when actually it was a conversation they were having. A very frustrating experience, indeed.
Now, Dawson did gain some momentum when Edie started sharing about how she and Freddy fell in love. Those longer sections were the most interesting, and read the most like a book I would actually like to pick up and continue with. Overall, though, this just dragged on and felt dull and lifeless (pun intended, I guess, since they both end up hanged for their crime) by the end.
Now, Dawson did gain some momentum when Edie started sharing about how she and Freddy fell in love. Those longer sections were the most interesting, and read the most like a book I would actually like to pick up and continue with. Overall, though, this just dragged on and felt dull and lifeless (pun intended, I guess, since they both end up hanged for their crime) by the end.
September 15, 2021
This book came to me highly recommended by a review in the English Financial Times. The book si 20 years old but could have been written yesterday. It is based on a true story of two people who were tried and hanged in the 1920's for the murder of her husband by the boyfriend. The book is written mostly in letters from her to him while in prison. There are also a lot of train of thought memories that helped to fill out the narrative. The story is horrific because they never should have been hanged. It took me awhile to be familiar with the author's style of writing and the nuances of the British language in the 1920's. The story was very provocative and compelling - even though I knew the ending. I only wish there had been more about the boyfriend. He is only seen through her eyes and we learn next to nothing about him. We know why he killed the husband (love!), but he was a very one dimensional character.
November 19, 2021
*3.5 stars
This is the story of the love affair between Edith Thompson and Fred Bywaters, who were both hanged in 1923 for the alleged murder of Edith's husband. Although this is based on a true story and real letters between the pair were recovered, the author admits that this book is a work of fiction.
Most of this story is told in the form of letters from Edith to Fred, which gave us a deep understanding of her motives and feelings, and successfully paints her in a sympathetic light. The letters are beautifully written, very romantic, and often heart wrenching, which I really loved. For me personally, however, I struggle to be totally wowed by a book that consists so heavily of the letter format. I still really enjoyed this though and would recommend it to anyone who loves forbidden romances, because you know I do!!!
This is the story of the love affair between Edith Thompson and Fred Bywaters, who were both hanged in 1923 for the alleged murder of Edith's husband. Although this is based on a true story and real letters between the pair were recovered, the author admits that this book is a work of fiction.
Most of this story is told in the form of letters from Edith to Fred, which gave us a deep understanding of her motives and feelings, and successfully paints her in a sympathetic light. The letters are beautifully written, very romantic, and often heart wrenching, which I really loved. For me personally, however, I struggle to be totally wowed by a book that consists so heavily of the letter format. I still really enjoyed this though and would recommend it to anyone who loves forbidden romances, because you know I do!!!
November 10, 2017
Fred and Edie are lovers accused of murdering her husband. Unhappy in her marriage and sometimes beaten, Edie is swept away by Freddy with whom she finds comfort and excitement. Much of the story is told through letters Edie writes to Freddy as they await trial and through articles from newspapers. There are a number of 'levels' to this story--the role of women in the society of the day, abortion, the justice system, the sensationalism of Freddy's & Edie's murder trial. The writing was clear and engaging, and although I was not necessarily fond of Edie, I swam through her world with her.
February 20, 2021
If you're a sucker for a literary adaptation of a shocking true crime story, I recommend this one highly. It's a fictional look at the 1922 murder, in Britain, of Percy Thompson by his wife's lover; both the wife (Edie) and the lover (Fred) were executed for the crime. Author Dawson does a terrific job of getting inside Edie's head and letting us both empathize with her voice and see through its delusions and fabrications. I knew all along how it ended, but still found myself progressively swept up into the tragedy.
July 5, 2017
This was a very different book for me and I loved it, I wanted to know more about them and the trial. It is a very poignant book and highlights how much life has changed in less that 100 years. In terms of social acceptance and divorce, affairs, abortion and birth control, crimes and punishments, we are a different Country entirely. I really enjoyed this story.
March 25, 2020
An interesting re-imaging of the love story between Edith Thompson and Frederick Bywaters which, ultimately, ended in tragedy with a gross miscarriage of justice. The story is told mainly through the letters written by Thompson (some of which are fictional, but a few are taken from actual letters she wrote). Although this is a difficult subject, it is well-written and worth reading. Recommended.
February 23, 2019
Based on a true story, but not convincing- the relationships with edie - Fred and her husband - seemed odd . I thought maybe the letters between them would be true but it seems only a fragment of one of them was used.
February 18, 2018
I bought this book for its beautiful cover. It’s true what they say about not judging. Very dull.
July 4, 2019
A lyrical and beautifully crafted version of Edith Thompson's story that is especially good at conveying the various forms of horrific violence to which women were subjected in 1920s Britain.
February 16, 2021
Not one single person in this book to like or root for. Interesting, and a true story, but everybody, or almost everybody, got what they deserved.
July 11, 2021
3.5 stars
August 24, 2022
Gripping, and terribly sad.
March 11, 2023
This example of true love is where both bodies are inextricably intertwined and why was that considered a bad thing?
March 18, 2023
Tur att den har fin cover och ser bra ut i bokhyllan
July 26, 2023
4.5 omg the concept is SO INTERESTING also like. justice for edie fr fr like thats my GIRL
January 23, 2022
‘Vain to consider that our love might be a real love, on a par with other great loves. That just because you are from Norwood and work as a ship’s laundry man and I grew up in Stamford Hill and read a certain kind of novel, we are not capable of true emotions, of having feelings and experiences which matter’.
In 1923, Edith Thompson and her lover Freddy Bywaters were hanged for the murder of Edie’s husband, Percy. The crime captivated the nation, causing a storm of publicity and speculation. In ‘Fred and Edie’, Jill Dawson draws from Edie’s writings in imaginary letters to Freddy while in prison. They reveal an extraordinary woman, vain, articulate, idealistic, imaginative, and romantic, convicted because the judge was unable to understand her.
As Edgar Lustgarten said about the case years later, ‘it was from the first to last a failure in human understanding; a failure to grasp and comprehend a personality not envisaged in the standard legal textbooks’. Dawson’s Edie is prone to long flights of fantasy, in which she imagines escaping with her lover and killing her abusive husband; these fantasies will later convict her. Yet despite the subject matter, I thought this book was a delight. Edie is captivating, charming, and complex, and Dawson captures her so well that I couldn’t distinguish her fictional letters from the real ones she inserts. Some readers might struggle with her as a heroine, but I adored her - not surprising, given how much I love Jill Dawson’s other works.
In 1923, Edith Thompson and her lover Freddy Bywaters were hanged for the murder of Edie’s husband, Percy. The crime captivated the nation, causing a storm of publicity and speculation. In ‘Fred and Edie’, Jill Dawson draws from Edie’s writings in imaginary letters to Freddy while in prison. They reveal an extraordinary woman, vain, articulate, idealistic, imaginative, and romantic, convicted because the judge was unable to understand her.
As Edgar Lustgarten said about the case years later, ‘it was from the first to last a failure in human understanding; a failure to grasp and comprehend a personality not envisaged in the standard legal textbooks’. Dawson’s Edie is prone to long flights of fantasy, in which she imagines escaping with her lover and killing her abusive husband; these fantasies will later convict her. Yet despite the subject matter, I thought this book was a delight. Edie is captivating, charming, and complex, and Dawson captures her so well that I couldn’t distinguish her fictional letters from the real ones she inserts. Some readers might struggle with her as a heroine, but I adored her - not surprising, given how much I love Jill Dawson’s other works.
November 15, 2015
2007 bookcrossing journal:
I finished this last week in Japan but I am only getting around to journalling it now.
It is a fantastic read, the writing is great, high quality stuff. I really want to read more work by this writer now.
The book is made up of mainly love letters (and some memories) written by Edie (Edith) to Freddie as they sit in prison going through the trial for the murder of Edie's husband Percy. The book says it's based on the real-life case and inspired by some of Edie's surviving love letters - I am curious about this side of it, as to whether it's just a literary aide or if this case really did happen.
Through the beginning and middle of the book I did have a lot of sympathy for Edie. She was stuck in a dead end marriage with a boring husband who beat her occasionally, and when the younger guy, Freddie comes into her life and she falls in love you can see how she comes alive. In one of the reviews on the inside cover, the reviewer refers to Edie as having girlish dreams when it comes to wanting to escape her marriage and be with Freddie. I don't really get that comment - is it just stupid girlish dreams to want a partner who respects you, treats you like an equal, doesn't beat you and with whom you have a half-decent sex life with?
Although further on, my sympathy did lessen. Why didn't she just leave Percy? She mentions divorce, but she never really fights for it or just walks out on him, which would have been the right thing to do if she wanted to be with Freddie. Perhaps it was the money and comfortable living that she needed too much. And murdering Percy to get away from him as the final effort to escape went way too far. Because most of it is told from Edie's perspective, you feel that she is trying to make excuses almost for her weak behaviour in not having the guts to walk out on her husband and live with Freddie. Also, her lack of regret or guilt for Percy's death is a little chilling to say the least.
I finished this last week in Japan but I am only getting around to journalling it now.
It is a fantastic read, the writing is great, high quality stuff. I really want to read more work by this writer now.
The book is made up of mainly love letters (and some memories) written by Edie (Edith) to Freddie as they sit in prison going through the trial for the murder of Edie's husband Percy. The book says it's based on the real-life case and inspired by some of Edie's surviving love letters - I am curious about this side of it, as to whether it's just a literary aide or if this case really did happen.
Through the beginning and middle of the book I did have a lot of sympathy for Edie. She was stuck in a dead end marriage with a boring husband who beat her occasionally, and when the younger guy, Freddie comes into her life and she falls in love you can see how she comes alive. In one of the reviews on the inside cover, the reviewer refers to Edie as having girlish dreams when it comes to wanting to escape her marriage and be with Freddie. I don't really get that comment - is it just stupid girlish dreams to want a partner who respects you, treats you like an equal, doesn't beat you and with whom you have a half-decent sex life with?
Although further on, my sympathy did lessen. Why didn't she just leave Percy? She mentions divorce, but she never really fights for it or just walks out on him, which would have been the right thing to do if she wanted to be with Freddie. Perhaps it was the money and comfortable living that she needed too much. And murdering Percy to get away from him as the final effort to escape went way too far. Because most of it is told from Edie's perspective, you feel that she is trying to make excuses almost for her weak behaviour in not having the guts to walk out on her husband and live with Freddie. Also, her lack of regret or guilt for Percy's death is a little chilling to say the least.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2015
Like many book lovers I know, I used to feel terribly guilty about not finishing a book. Sometimes I’d have to force myself to sit down and plough through the pages, barely even skim reading, just so I could say I’d finished. This year however, I granted myself the 50 page rule. No matter what I’m reading or how many people have sung its praises, if it’s not grabbed me by the 50 page mark, it’s going in the charity shop pile.
Never have I been so glad of the 50 page rule as I was when reading Fred & Edie. My god.
First of all, kudos to Jill Dawson for having the balls to write such an unlikable character, I don’t think I would be brave enough. Now I know most people (including the person who recommended me this book) would say, “Oh but you’ll see, she isn’t like this all the way through!” But in all honesty, I couldn’t stand her. I mean it. Turning the page and reading another one-dimensional, tedious, and judgemental letter made me furious. It made my blood boil. Actually, worse than that, it bored me. Her obnoxious, self-involved wittering seems entirely superficial. She was remorseless to a point of farce. I have no doubt that if I had read further than 50 pages she would have become haunted by visions of poor old Percy and begin to repent but quite frankly, I couldn’t have cared less.
One star for effort, Darlint.
Never have I been so glad of the 50 page rule as I was when reading Fred & Edie. My god.
First of all, kudos to Jill Dawson for having the balls to write such an unlikable character, I don’t think I would be brave enough. Now I know most people (including the person who recommended me this book) would say, “Oh but you’ll see, she isn’t like this all the way through!” But in all honesty, I couldn’t stand her. I mean it. Turning the page and reading another one-dimensional, tedious, and judgemental letter made me furious. It made my blood boil. Actually, worse than that, it bored me. Her obnoxious, self-involved wittering seems entirely superficial. She was remorseless to a point of farce. I have no doubt that if I had read further than 50 pages she would have become haunted by visions of poor old Percy and begin to repent but quite frankly, I couldn’t have cared less.
One star for effort, Darlint.
June 24, 2012
Interesting and gorgeously written. Based on the real life case of a woman and her younger lover accused of murdering her husband in the 1920s, "Fred & Edie" uses real newspaper articles from the trial,(largely) fictitious letters from Edie to Freddy while they're both in prison and backstory from Edie's point of view. I thought at first that I'd get tired of her voice if it was all going to be in letter form but the scenes are changed frequently and the language is detailed and lush and you really feel for the pair. I did think that maybe Edie was assuming too much about Freddy wanting to support and exonerate her during the trial as they had no opportunity to speak to each other but looking up some details afterwards, he repeatedly stated that she was innocent. As this is fiction, you can't make any judgement on the guilt or otherwise of Edie but the case had huge media attention at the time and there is also an interesting afterword.
October 3, 2025
I appreciate Jill Dawson’s ability in this novel to imagine and bring life into and out of the gaps in the documentation she found and researched about Edith (Edie) Thompson. I felt deeply moved by everything that Dawson gave voice to in this novel. In it she offers us a chance to feel and imagine Edie’s personality, feelings, troubles, wants and motivations, amidst a deeper sense of the limits of choice and freedom of young women at this time. Limits not just within a loveless marriage, but the further limits of the intimate oppressions of such a marriage, and the pressures of society to confine yourself to a limited existence.
I dragged in reading this novel due to my own business and lack of reading habit at this time - and yet felt that I could sink back into it and the lives inside each time I picked it up. I would read it again, if only to experience this feverish, gripping story at a quicker pace.
I dragged in reading this novel due to my own business and lack of reading habit at this time - and yet felt that I could sink back into it and the lives inside each time I picked it up. I would read it again, if only to experience this feverish, gripping story at a quicker pace.
November 29, 2007
I randomly picked "Fred & Edie" up at the library because I was intrigued by the cover. And I must say, I'm very glad that I did! The book is based on the true story of Edith Thompson, who, with her lover Freddie Bywaters, was imprisoned and hanged in 1922 London for the murder of her husband Percy. Half of the story is told through Edie's letters to Freddie while they are both in prison. In the other half, Edie tells the story of her unhappy marriage to Percy and her affair with Freddie. The story itself holds no great surprises, but the language is so beautiful and charming throughout, it's a bit like reading poetry at times. Not a page-turner, but a lovely book nevertheless.
Find more book reviews at A Quick Red Fox.
Find more book reviews at A Quick Red Fox.
September 26, 2013
This will be one of my best reads for 2008. Shortlisted for the Whitbread and Orange prize this is based on the infamous Thompson and Bywaters murder trial in 1922. It is a fictional version of Edith Thompson's life told in the form of letters which she might have sent to her lover and co-accused Freddy Bywaters from her cell in Holloway prison. This takes us through their first meeting to the physical realisation and beyond when Edie's husband , Percy is killed by Freddy. The jury has to decide is she innocent or a conniving instigator. Whilst she awaits the verdict she writes these letters which will never reach her lover. The narrative is interspersed with actual newspaper snippets of the time.
Enjoyed the writing style and structure of this novel.
Enjoyed the writing style and structure of this novel.
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