Au Revoir Now Darlint: The Letters of Edith Thompson

In 1922, Percy Thompson, a 32-year-old clerk, and his wife, Edith, were stabbed to death by Edith's lover, Frederick Bywaters. Despite a lack of evidence linking her to the murder, Edith was condemned by a sexist society and hanged along with Bywaters. Letters she had penned to her lover were interpreted as incitement to murder and have now been collected in print for the first time.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 19 January 2023
Publisher: Unbound

A century ago, on the evening of October 3, 1922, a 32-year-old clerk named Percy Thompson was tragically stabbed to death as he made his way home to his suburban villa in Ilford, accompanied by his wife, Edith, who was 28 years old. The perpetrator of this heinous act was Edith's lover, Frederick Bywaters, a merchant seaman aged 20. Tragically, Bywaters was executed for murder on January 9, 1923, along with Edith Thompson.

Despite the absence of any concrete evidence implicating her in the murder, Edith faced societal condemnation due to the deeply entrenched sexism of the time. What ultimately sealed her fate was the collection of letters she had written to her lover, which were misinterpreted by the law as incitement to murder. These letters are truly remarkable documents, imbued with the vitality of Edith's voice and showcasing an extraordinary imagination. Until now, they have never been compiled in print.

In her book, Au Revoir Now, Darlint: Laura Thompson, the author of the CWA Gold Dagger-shortlisted novel Rex vs. Edith Thompson, has painstakingly assembled these letters alongside insightful commentary to unravel the remarkable story of a woman who was far ahead of her time and possessed an extraordinary creative spirit. This ultimately resulted in a tragic outcome.

Weight: 478g
Dimension: 147 x 223 x 38 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800182462