Fred and Edie

Jill Dawson

A new (and rather over-priced) book. The central strand is the true story of the murder, committed by Edie, of her husband. The book is feminist with a small f, about an intelligent woman prepared to criticise her surroundings and is interspersed with news cuttings an idea that Gavin didn't like so much. Edie, though deeply flawed, is the heroine and would have been thought extraordinary in her day and age. She would probably be thought unremarkable now.
Gavin 25/2/01

This is a novelisation of the lives of two real people Fred and Edie. It includes letters written by Edie but at the end of the book the author reveals that the letters are fiction. This left Doreen distrustful of the author. It was a grim story - Fred murdered Edie's husband and they were both hanged.

Doreen disliked the uneasy mixture of fact and made up elements. She found it rather a distasteful novel.
Doreen 03/06/01

The frames have gone all funny - click to make it good.