Name:  Annette L.
Date:  March 20, 2008 

Book Report   

• Title of Book:  The Gypsies 
• Author:  Jan Yoors 

Setting: Where does this story take place?  The Balkans and Turkey.

Main Characters:  Give a brief description of each character. Use words like kind, lonely, helpful, gets into trouble, etc.

Separate these words with commas.

Summary:  Write a summary about the story. Don't retell the whole story.

This book is a memoir!  Jan tells his fascinating story in the first person and I was immediately lapping up every word.  (The book was written in 1967 but the reissue in 1987 includes some fabulous original photos that Jan took in 1938 when he was living the adventure)   

The story is so compelling and each new page is even more gripping than the previous.  Although their culture is so opposite of how our culture behaves and believes, Jan explains the Gypsy ways in such a clear and common sense way that chicken stealing becomes not only understandable but acceptable!

"The Gypsies have protected their cultural continuity and identity by hiding behind an elaborate system of protective screens, so that reality is often the exact opposite of appearance.

It is under this heading that I would class fortune-telling.  Besides being an obvious source of income, it is at least as important as a means of surrounding the Gypsies with an uneasy, magic aura.  It gives substance to their use of curses against outsiders who brutally mistreat them, and often prevents such treatment.  The Rom never practice fortune-telling among themselves in any form."


  

 Conclusion: How did the story end ?  In a very satisfying way that led me to hunt down Jan Yoors out-of-print Crossing.

Did you like the book? Why or Why not?  I loved the book.  One of the hushed conversations that was had in my household from time-to-time when I was growing up was about my Great Aunt Vi (my grandmother's half-sister) who had the unmitigated gall to "run off" with a gypsy.  From what I could overhear they wintered in Florida in a caravan city but they would travel north when the weather turned friendly. 

Evidently Vi felt a compulsion to visit her family on that northern journey and the family was just mortified when the Gypsy caravan came to town and began to sell their "lace" tablecloths and offer their services to re-roof homes of the obviously affluent. 

I never met my Aunt Vi but I know I would have felt an instant chemistry and respect.  She was living her own life and chortling at those who were just appalled that she was. 

Finally, my sincere thanks to a dear friend affectionately nicknamed, NoseMary .  Without her guidance I would have never found this book.  She often leads me down the most interesting paths!