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Book Review: The Franchise Affair

The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey
From the author of ‘Brat Farrar’ comes this horrible, anti-Irish, victim-blaming, slut shaming, sexist tale. It is also full of classism and the blatant existence of grooming and sexual predators and open admission of GBH is ignored.

In a village, a ‘respectable’ mother and daughter are accused of kidnapping and beating a young girl. A solicitor decides the victim is a lying slut and sets out to discredit her. He’s also shocked that the police are bothering ‘respectable’ people by investigating such claims and even, gasp, arresting them for it!

This is a disturbing book. ‘Respectable’ people have open derision for a child and want her soul damned. They utter sexist classist talk and wish a merciless death on her, a child. Public image is cared about, there is great self-preoccupation and special wrath is triggered by a brutalised child asking for justice.

In this terrible novel, the smug ‘respectable’ people are heroes and they meet opposition with ferocity. People openly talk of wishing a hard death on a child. Nobody cares about an obtainable version of the truth only slut shaming a child. This is the grim old days where a child is damned for being working class and having slutty eyes and daring to damage the ‘good name’ of ‘respectable’ people. This book is harmful and I could see little to impress me in this.

‘Respectable’ women bitterly complain about being held to account. A child waits in vain for help in this tedious novel. It’s a very serious concern that abuse is ignored so ‘respectable’ women can have the appearance of respectability and a child can be much maligned by those with the ability to sit in judgement. They shrug off the ethical implications of this unmeritorious book. This is a particularly worrying book.

Best Lines:
“Let us hope that by the time this case is finished they are not doing hard labour by order.”

“Riled me past bearing.”

“A lot of people are going to hit you from now on, my poppet.”
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