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|title=The Fair Fight

|sort=Fair Fight, The

|publisher=Orion Publishing

|date=August 2014

|website=http://www.applesandsnakes.co.uk/page/84/Performance+poets/417

|video=SjlYFPYfSVs

|summary=On the cusp of the 19th Century, Ruth is born in 'The Convent', a brothel run by her Madame of a mother. When a regular client takes an interest in Ruth, deciding to turn her into a female prize fighter, we are swept up into a grimy, dirty world. Journeying from the bloody sawdust at the side of a boxing ring to grand mansions and high society, this is a stunning debut by poet Anna Freeman.

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Set in the grimy streets of Bristol, we follow the journey of Ruth – born to a Madame in a brothel, and constantly outshone by her prettier sister Dora, Ruth learns to stand on two feet and to defend herself – something which is picked up on by a regular client of Dora’s, Mr Dryer. Plunged headfirst into the world of fighting, Ruth soon meets Grenville Dryer’s wife, Charlotte, a woman scarred by smallpox and trapped in a loveless relationship with her husband, and a toxic one with her brother.

Whilst fighting is what drives the main plot along, it is by no means the focus – whilst we are given a fascinating glimpse into this world, it is the characters who make one keep turning the pages, and they stick in the mind long after the final page is turned – particularly for me, Charlotte Dryer is utterly captivating. The world which they inhabit is also wonderfully depicted, with rich contrast between manor and brothel, town house and hovel. The writing does not shy away from the realities of violence, and depictions of injuries and death can be horribly vivid and wonderfully macabre.

This book is set in a dirty dangerous time, but one I was very happy to be sucked into for an afternoon. Ruth and Tom, Charlotte and George are all characters I should love to meet again, and I would encourage anyone to jump in and to meet them for yourself.

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