One of the most memorable tales from Tony Birch’s 2006 debut collection, Shadowboxing, is The Butcher’s Wife.
In this short story, the titular wife sensationally murders and dismembers her husband after he beats her in full view of everyone in the street. The physical distress of regular beatings is almost to be taken for granted in Birch’s rendition of 1960s Fitzroy. But public humiliation pushes the butcher’s wife past breaking point – and finally demands retaliation.
