''Fred & Edie'' is a 2000

epistolary Epistolary means "in the form of a letter or letters", and may refer to: * Epistolary ( la, epistolarium), a Christian liturgical book containing set readings for church services from the New Testament Epistles * Epistolary novel * Epistolary poem ...

and

semi-biographical novel The biographical novel is a genre of novel which provides a fictional account of a contemporary or historical person's life. Like other forms of biographical fiction, details are often trimmed or reimagined to meet the artistic needs of the fiction ...

Jill Dawson Jill Dawson (born 8 April 1962) is an English poet and novelist who grew up in Durham, England, Durham, England. She began publishing her poems in pamphlets and small magazines. Her first book, ''Trick of the Light'', was published in 1996. She ...

. The novel is loosely based on the murder of Percy Thompson by his with Edith Thompson and, her lover Frederick Bywaters. The novel develops a sympathetic reading of Edie's understanding of the crime and subsequent incarceration as depicted in her unsent letters to Fred. The novel was shortlisted for both the 2000 Whitbread Novel Award and the 2001

Orange Prize for Fiction The Women's Prize for Fiction (previously with sponsor names Orange Prize for Fiction (1996–2006 and 2009–12), Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction (2007–08) and Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction (2014–2017)) is one of the United Kingdom's m ...

, though won neither.

Reception

The novel was generally well received. New Zealand Herald reviewer John McCrystal, called the novel " a dazzling novel, gripping and moving." McCrystal called Edie's characterization as " a brilliant feat of characterisation" in contrast to Fred, "he never quite comes alive". In reflecting on Dawson' career, the British Council called " Dawson's version of this tragic story is haunting and compelling, particularly as Edie realises the terrible fate that awaits her." The Orange Prize nomination called the novel a "novel of entrancing imagination, sensitivity and grace" which "creates an intimate, tantalising voice for Edie".

References

External links

An Interview with Dawson about the novel on her website
2000 British novels Epistolary novels Biographical novels Sceptre (imprint) books Novels set in London {{DEFAULTSORT:Fred and Edie