Cheryl Blackford and Maggie Smith Bendell. LIZZIE AND THE LOST BABY is told from the dual points of view of two characters: Lizzie and Elijah. Elijah is a thirteen-year-old Gypsy who sneaked into my mind and stayed. I have no Gypsy/Traveler/Roma blood (none that I know of anyway) but once Elijah arrived I had to find out more about him and his people. I could only think of one book with a main character who is a Gypsy: THE DIDDAKOI by Rumer Godden, published in 1972. More recently there have been several memoirs published, but as far as I know no children’s fiction stories. How sad that we have so few stories about people with such a rich culture.
Prejudice is one of the themes of LIZZIE AND THE LOST BABY. When Lizzie befriends Elijah she is horrified by the prejudice her hosts show towards the gypsies. Prejudice against the traveling people exists throughout Europe today and is nothing new — for centuries governments have passed laws to make the traveling life difficult. Hitler’s government determined that the Roma were a lesser form of human being and murdered tens of thousands of them. While we all know about the Jews slaughtered in the Holocaust, this tragic piece of Roma history is not so well known.
RABBIT STEW AND A PENNY OR TWO: A GYPSY FAMILY’S HARD TIMES AND HAPPY TIMES ON THE ROAD IN THE 1950s by Maggie Smith Bendell was the starting point in my research. After reading the book I became friends with Maggie and she was an early reader of Lizzie, offering advice and encouragement. I was lucky enough to meet Maggie in 2015 and was treated to a tour of her house and her three vardoes. Maggie is an indomitable spirit, fighting bureaucracy for the rights of her people, helping the police resolve disputes, and promoting the Gypsy/Traveler/Roma culture. The Queen awarded her the BEM honor and I am proud to know her (Maggie not the Queen).
Prejudice is one of the themes of LIZZIE AND THE LOST BABY. When Lizzie befriends Elijah she is horrified by the prejudice her hosts show towards the gypsies. Prejudice against the traveling people exists throughout Europe today and is nothing new — for centuries governments have passed laws to make the traveling life difficult. Hitler’s government determined that the Roma were a lesser form of human being and murdered tens of thousands of them. While we all know about the Jews slaughtered in the Holocaust, this tragic piece of Roma history is not so well known.
RABBIT STEW AND A PENNY OR TWO: A GYPSY FAMILY’S HARD TIMES AND HAPPY TIMES ON THE ROAD IN THE 1950s by Maggie Smith Bendell was the starting point in my research. After reading the book I became friends with Maggie and she was an early reader of Lizzie, offering advice and encouragement. I was lucky enough to meet Maggie in 2015 and was treated to a tour of her house and her three vardoes. Maggie is an indomitable spirit, fighting bureaucracy for the rights of her people, helping the police resolve disputes, and promoting the Gypsy/Traveler/Roma culture. The Queen awarded her the BEM honor and I am proud to know her (Maggie not the Queen).
Grys at the Bridgewater Fair, 2015. In England today most of the traditional work and stopping places have vanished and a life on the road is difficult, but Gypsy traditions are kept alive. Visit one of the ancient horse fairs (such as the famous one held at Appleby in Cumbria) and you will see stalls selling Crown Derby china, highly prized by the traveling people. You’ll also see horse trading in action with proud owners showing their horse’s paces and sealing deals with a handshake. Gypsy horses (or grys) are beautiful. Commonly piebald or skewbald, they have long silky tails and feathers of hair over their hooves. They are sturdy enough to pull the wagons but not huge like cart horses. The wagons (vardoes) themselves are beautiful too. They range from simple green bow tops with little decoration to splendid Reading wagons with elaborate carvings and decorations.
In my story there is a gulf of misunderstanding between the local people, Lizzie’s hosts, and the Gypsies. Lizzie’s attempts to bridge that gulf demand courage and cause her heartache. If you’d like to find out how, you’ll have to read LIZZIE AND THE LOST BABY.
Resources:
In my story there is a gulf of misunderstanding between the local people, Lizzie’s hosts, and the Gypsies. Lizzie’s attempts to bridge that gulf demand courage and cause her heartache. If you’d like to find out how, you’ll have to read LIZZIE AND THE LOST BABY.
Resources:
- RABBIT STEW AND A PENNY OR TWO: A GYPSY FAMILY’S HARD TIMES AND HAPPY TIMES ON THE ROAD IN THE 1950s by Maggie Smith Bendell, Little Brown Book Group, 2010. A memoir of Maggie’s life on the road with a glossary and recipes.
- Video of Appleby Horse Fair made by Gypsy children.
- Video of Appleby, Stowe and Lee Gap fairs set to the song “Little Dun Mare” sung by Nick Dow.
- Romany Heritage Facebook page.
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