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elizmanderson's review
5.0
You know that old "if you could sit next to any person from history at a dinner party" question? I've never really had an answer, but while reading The Yellow on the Broom I decided it would probably be Betsy Whyte. People who knew her while she wrote her memoirs say she thought she wasn't much of a writer, but she was certainly a storyteller.
The Yellow on the Broom is Betsy Whyte's tale of growing up as a Scottish Highland Traveller in the 1930s. This book, along with its sequel, Red Rowans and Wild Honey, shows a rare glimpse into Traveller culture. It paints a picture of the daily lives of Travellers: their beliefs, superstition, and spirituality; the jobs that give them food, money, or a place to camp; the difficulties arising from overzealous social welfare programs, the prejudice of settled people, and rapidly vanishing campsites.
The books had me hooked from start to finish. I own both, and I'll definitely be reading them again.
The Yellow on the Broom is Betsy Whyte's tale of growing up as a Scottish Highland Traveller in the 1930s. This book, along with its sequel, Red Rowans and Wild Honey, shows a rare glimpse into Traveller culture. It paints a picture of the daily lives of Travellers: their beliefs, superstition, and spirituality; the jobs that give them food, money, or a place to camp; the difficulties arising from overzealous social welfare programs, the prejudice of settled people, and rapidly vanishing campsites.
The books had me hooked from start to finish. I own both, and I'll definitely be reading them again.
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