Read at the start of April.A true blooded Gypsy, Violet Cannon grew up the Romany way. Life was tough at times, living in a cramped one-roomed trailer, but, unbound by strict routines, Violet spent her days learning to keep home, playing and roaming the fields with a sense of freedom long lost to the rest of modern society.
Immersed in the Gypsy way of life, her childhood set her apart from other children. Bullied by classmates, and segregated from 'gorgia' kids (all non-Gypsies), Violet eventually left school at the age of nine to live a life of travel, play and learning under generations-old Gypsy rules on the fringes of society.
With traditional values at the heart of her childhood, the pressure of conforming and marrying young was intense. Gypsy Princess is a searingly honest account of what life is really like for travelling communities, for girls in particular, and captures a way of life that is slowly fading away.
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My Review-
Really enjoyed this book- such an insight into the Romany gypsy life from the past. The book covers Violet's life (pre-conception as in parents meeting n marriage) until present, therefore a lot of subjects are briefly mentioned and no depth is given. Lots more detail would have added to the insight and given the reader a fuller experience of gypsy life rather than 'snippits'. This would have made the book longer, yet, i feel the reader would not have minded due to the depth of the story and since there was lots of repetition throughout the chapters-these could have being altered/deleted.
Again, really enjoyed it, it took me a while to get into too but at the end i wanted more and felt like i would miss Violet. Sadly the image on the front isn't Violet as a young girl....there is just one baby photo on the back cover; having some pages of photos would have helped put faces to names and added to the fulfilment of the book.
I gave this book 3/5 stars
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