Rich storytelling set in and around late 18th century Bristol with each character being given a voice and view in separate chapters. You are driven to read chapter after chapter to gather the differing viewpoints of the plot; highly compulsive. It centres on a group of female boxers and their patrons which is quite fascinating. It’s sort of Georgette Heyer with bite. Bawdy, rude and fun, there are three main girls, Ruth in particular is delightfully course! Careful attention is paid to the street language of the time and the contrast of rich and poor is well drawn. But in the end it seems that alcohol and gaming addiction are the real stars. ~ Sarah Broadhurst
July 2015 Debut of the Month.
| Primary Genre | Historical Fiction |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
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 puglist. 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 features in the following genres: Historical Fiction, Modern and Contemporary Fiction, eBooks of the Month, Debut Books of the Month, Book Club Recommendations, Fiction, General Fiction, Recommendations
The Fair Fight is available in Paperback, Hardback
The Fair Fight was written by Anna Freeman and published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson an imprint of Orion Publishing Co
The Fair Fight has 437 pages
£11.69