A joyous account of growing up in a 'Traveller' family in Scotland in the 1930s. As itinerant farm labourers in summer, hunkering down in winter so the children could go to school this is an eye-opener into a close-knit community with strong family ties, a fiercely ethical outlook, and a faith in life allowing freedoms unthinkable for townies. Knowing this traditional way of life ended when the Welfare State herded them all miserably into council housing is tragic.
(Annabel Bedini - bwl 94 Autumn 2019 ) |
