Stevie‘s review of The Fair Fight by Anna Freeman
Historical Literary Fiction published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson 28 Aug 14
Every so often I come across a really different sort of historical novel, and this is one of them. Of course, ‘different’ doesn’t always equate to well-written or enjoyable, but I’m pleased to report that The Fair Fight stands up very well on both counts, although explaining the plot of such a complex, well-populated novel isn’t necessarily as easy as just telling readers to rush out and experience the story for themselves. However, I shall try to give you a feel for it without giving away too much of the plot.
Ruth is the plain-featured younger daughter of a kept-woman turned brothel owner in late-18th Century Bristol. After her sister follows in their mother’s footsteps by becoming the mistress of a wealthy young man, Ruth’s jealousy leads her into a very different career as a female boxer, managed by her sister’s lover, Mr Dryer. Meanwhile, two of Dryer’s school friends are leading a dissolute life in the house inherited by one of them after his family die in two pox outbreaks – all except his sister Charlotte, who was withdrawn before and now is badly scarred and at the mercy of her brother’s taunts. She has also come to the attention of her brother’s lover-since-school, who wants both siblings – and their fortune – for himself and is prepared to marry Charlotte in order to move his plans forward.
Charlotte longs to escape, while her brother is determined to prevent her from distracting his lover away from his side; and so he arranges for her to be married off to the nouveau riche Dryer. Finding she has exchanged one near prison for another, Charlotte tries to make the best of things until the day she accompanies Dryer and his friends to the fair, where she witnesses a boxing match between Ruth and a male opponent. Following a less-than-spectacular outcome, Dryer decides that Ruth’s husband Tom is the better fighter and more likely to increase Dryer’s fortune and standing among the boxing fans of the class he aspires to be accepted by.
Ruth and Tom are moved into a house on Dryer’s estate, and, when Charlotte eventually finds out, she and Ruth bond over Dryer’s inconstancy. They slowly become friends, although fate has more surprises in store for them before any of them can achieve any kind of stable and happy future. As for the others, most of the less-deserving characters get their comeuppance at some point, but not always in the way I was expecting.
I love the strength and determination of Charlotte, Ruth, and Tom, which contrasted richly with the general loathsomeness of Dryer and his friends. The book shows us a side of 18th Century life that I find particularly interesting and doesn’t spare readers from the seediness that abounds in the areas where the wealthy and poor of Bristol intersect. Need I mention that it is refreshing to read a historical novel set in Bristol for a change? This is a debut novel, I gather, but I’ll definitely be looking out for subsequent books by the author.
Grade: A
Summary:
Some call the prize ring a nursery for vice . . .
Born into a brothel, Ruth’s future looks bleak until she catches the eye of Mr Dryer. A rich Bristol merchant and enthusiast of the ring, he trains gutsy Ruth as a pugilist. Soon she rules the blood-spattered sawdust at the infamous Hatchet Inn.
Dryer’s wife Charlotte lives in the shadows. A grieving orphan, she hides away, scarred by smallpox, ignored by Dryer, and engaged in dangerous mind games with her brother.
When Dryer sidelines Ruth after a disastrous fight, and focuses on training her husband Tom, Charlotte presents Ruth with an extraordinary proposition. As the tension mounts before Tom’s Championship fight, two worlds collide with electrifying consequences.
THE FAIR FIGHT will take you from a filthy brothel to the finest houses in the town, from the world of street-fighters to the world of champions. Alive with the smells and the sounds of the streets, it is a raucous, intoxicating tale of courage, reinvention and fighting your way to the top.
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