The Framing
The Framing is published by Melbourne University Press (MUP) and is available for order here.
“Mum handed me some papers. ‘Here’s the brief of evidence if you want to read it.’
Brief of evidence?
This was a surprise.
I retreated to the study to peruse it. Two bank tellers described the person who had completed a fraudulent transaction. Blonde, overweight, in her twenties. My mother was forty-five, slim, and was sometimes asked if she was Greek or Italian.
Another witness statement, equally inconclusive. A receipt for payment for three CDs and a bunch of other random documents.
Those cops had just collected bits of paper and called it evidence. Any jury would be able to see this did not prove anything.
When Fernanda Dahlstrom was eight, her mother went to jail and their idyllic life in rural Victoria was shattered. Now a young lawyer in Darwin, Fernanda tells her new partner about her chaotic past and her determination to show the world how her mother was framed.
The Framing explores the complexities of trust and betrayal in family relationships, through a searing study of identity and justice.”
Awards and recognition
The manuscript that become The Framing was shortlisted for the Glendower Award for an Emerging Queensland Writer in 2023. It was highly commended in The Next Chapter 2024.
Praise for The Framing
“Dahlstrom patiently unravels the myths she inherited, confronting betrayal without bitterness and exploring how identity is forged in the aftermath of injustice.”
-Belinda @bel_reads_books
“A gripping narrative that raises many deep questions about who we trust and why.”
“A thoughtful, beautifully written story of survival and resilience….Despite the extraordinary circumstances, Fernanda tells her story without self‑pity or bitterness….invites readers to contemplate uncomfortable questions about family, loyalty and justice.”
– Suzanne Robinson @suzannebookgirl
“Margaret’s level of psychological manipulation — dare I say, gaslighting — of her daughter is chilling to observe.”
“There is an emotional generosity to the writing… She patiently examines the stories she was told as a child and the difficult process of untangling truth from loyalty.”
– Kristy Hunter @kristy_reads
“The Framing is a fascinating and singular event in the development of the contemporary Australian memoir.”
– Dr Charlie Ward, History Curator, NT Library and Archives
“A heartbreaking exploration of a very complex mother/daughter relationship.”
– Bri Lee & Jaclyn Crupi
“Exploring the complexities of trust and betrayal within family relationships, Fernanda Dahlstrom’s memoir is a searing study of identity and justice. Set in Darwin and Victoria and criss–crossing the author’s adult life as a lawyer and a childhood where her mother is regularly convicted of fraud but claims to be innocent, Dahlstrom asks what it is to be deceived by the person she trusts the most.”
– Queensland Literary Awards 2023, Judges’ comments
Giving back
There are many ways to support women affected by prison.
Sisters Inside
Sisters Inside is a Brisbane-based non-profit organisation that advocates for the human rights of women in prison, supports criminalised women and girls and their families, and works toward decarceration.
Half of the royalties received from book sales of The Framing will be donated to Sisters Inside.
You can donate to Sisters Inside here: https://sistersinside.com.au/donate/
Freadom Inside
If you resonate with my story about a woman caught up in the criminal justice system, and the power of reading and literature to transform a life, check out the work of Freadom Inside and consider buying a book for a prisoner.
