Review of Undefeated: A Novel

[Kajori Sheryl Paul]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Undefeated: A Novel" by Gillie Basson.]

---

5 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Did you know that the 18th century saw the earliest female fighters take the fighting ring by storm? Women have been breaking patriarchal stereotypes as early as that.

Undefeated: A Novel by Gillie Basson is the fictional biography of one such fighter. It is the story of Elizabeth Wilkinson-Stokes. She was forced to fight in the underground rings of St. Giles by her abusive husband, Robert, a dangerous criminal of the time. During one of her fights, the constabulary burst in. Elizabeth saved a young constable named Matthew Boyle. Robert was arrested and sentenced to hang. After his death, Elizabeth was finally free. With the help of Constable Boyle, she gained employment as a seamstress at the Piddington's Stay-making and Haberdashery Shop. She wanted to carve out a respectable life for herself. The only thing from her old life that she clung to was her drinking habit. To her utter astonishment, the lonely and hardened Elizabeth found herself hounded by Halfinch, a street urchin. The little boy was a fan of hers and wanted her to return to the fighting rings. Strangely, even Elizabeth missed the excitement of her fights.

Will Elizabeth continue her tedious yet respectable job as a seamstress, or will she go back to prize fighting and become the London City Championess? Most importantly, will she finally open her heart and let people in?


Elizabeth Wilkinson-Stokes is believed by many to be the first female prize fighter in history. Her contributions to boxing history were conveniently pushed to the background or downright villainized by the dawn of the Victorian Era. What little is known of her comes from the newspaper announcements of her fights. Gillie Basson had been fascinated by her ever since her father told her about Elizabeth. It is no wonder that Basson's debut novel is Elizabeth Wilkinson-Stokes’ fictional biography. Basson researched the era vigorously and pieced together every little thing known about the London City Championess to craft Undefeated: A Novel. In the very beginning of the book, Basson cautions us and tells us that some events, dates, and facts were fictionalized for the sake of the narrative. There are many fictional characters interspersed with the real historical figures as well. The author gives us a list of the real figures and the accurate historical timeline of events at the start as well. This adds authenticity to the book. Moreover, Basson's introduction to London's law system in the 18th century made it easier for me to understand the story and the milieu in which it is set in.

Gillie Basson is a master at world-building. The author transported me to the dark alleys of 18th-century London. Basson made me feel the frenzy of the mob as they awaited the public hangings and executions of the accused criminals. Being a history buff, I appreciate this.

Basson is great at characterization as well. I loved Elizabeth's character trajectory. Her slow progression is praiseworthy. She started off as a closed-off woman who had been abused by everyone in her life ever since childhood. It was a treat seeing her open her heart to people. I loved how she did not change overnight. Even in the end, she still carried her scars, both emotional and physical. Halfinch is a character that has won a place in my heart forever. I will never forget him. Alice left an impact as well. Mrs. Piddington intrigued me. Sophie made me think about the few choices women had in that era. Big Red, James Figg, Jim, and Constable Boyle were nicely developed as well. Magistrate Trelawny and Vincent Love made my skin crawl.

Overall, Gillie Basson's Undefeated: A Novel is a captivating book, especially considering the fact that it is the author's debut novel. I found nothing to criticize in this amazingly researched novel. It is well-edited as well. I happily rate Gillie Basson's Undefeated: A Novel 5 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend this to fans of historical books. Readers who enjoy character-driven books will love this novel.

******
Undefeated: A Novel
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Kibet Hillary]

Many thanks for the amazing review, @Kajori Sheryl Paul, I am an ardent reader of historical fiction and it is great to see an author writing a story that would otherwise not be given much attention. The fact that the author has been interested in Elizabeth's life and story for long is great.

[Onyemuwa-dave]

You've vividly brought to life the compelling story of Elizabeth Wilkinson-Stokes, an 18th-century female prize fighter, and her journey from abuse to freedom and self-discovery.

It's clear that Basson's meticulous research and skillful world-building transported you to the dark alleys of London. Your appreciation for Elizabeth's realistic character trajectory and the impact of figures like Halfinch and Alice truly highlights the novel's emotional depth. Beautiful review.

[Kutloano Makhuvhela]

Thank you for writing this review. Indeed, this seems like a good book to read, especially for those who like novels and marginalised and overlooked people in history. The role women have been playing through history have been overlooked, sadly, by the historians. This novel proved to change that.