Alice + Freda Forever: A Murder In Memphis (2014) - Plot & Excerpts
I have a special fondness for biographies about two things: queer women and true crime (specifically, murder). So right away I knew this book was for me; thankfully, it didn't disappoint. I'd only ever heard about this case in passing, so I was excited to dig into a case that, in its day, caused a huge scandal, but had largely been forgotten in modern times.I love how Coe doesn't just cover the crime itself -- she also takes time to flesh out the social and economic and racial politics of the time period during which it occurred. It really helps you to gain a greater understanding as to why everything played out the way it did. Everything is so richly described and the gorgeous illustrations scattered throughout add another layer of awesome. As much I hated reading about some of these people not surviving I could not think of how awkward and difficult it must have been for Alice and Freda. These two women lived in 1892 and the turn of the century in Memphis. As I read Alice and Freda Forever I was reminded how far we have come with women rights, gay rights, and the cultural shift of how we view people. Alice and Freda were lovers in a time a period that had no comprehension for same sex love. It was not imaginable. There were no words for it. It could not be described and was not something brains could comprehend. We are talking only 120 years ago. To live in a time period where who you are cannot be explained to yourself or others must have been a brain warp. Which is probably why Alice was a bit off her rocker and ended up killing Freda out of a passion of love. What this story brings to light is a shift in society. A challenge to "whiteness", being a white male and power that comes with it. As the author notes it was bigger than murder as it was a challenge to American Modernity.As much as I love a good murder story, this story brings to light much larger issues and does so without bogging down the reader. I found this book to be really interesting despite knowing the outcome.
What do You think about Alice + Freda Forever: A Murder In Memphis (2014)?
2/3 of the way through and just couldn't keep my attention on it.
—Sofia
Interesting book, but for some reason it felt superficial.
—steph
interesting story - perfect timing for sharing it
—_nancyxo
