The Gypsies

The Year The Gypsies Came by Linzi Glass
I found this book in the library one day when I was just looking around. It is a very emotional, loving, sweet, painful and confronting all at the same time. It tells the tale of a girl named Emily Iris and her rather dysfunctional family which is composed of her mother Lily, father Bob and sister Sarah.

The family isn't much of a family at all. Even though they are blood related there is a lot of conflict that exists within the family. Lily isn't much of a mother in ways. She likes to spend money, argue with her husband Bob and is known for tomcatting. In simple terms, tomcatting means she is said to be sexually active with more than one man (so men other than Bob). Bob, the father, works long hours and attempts to make friends with his daugthers on many occasions. He also sells chocolates. Emily is kind of a tomboy. She hates the colour pink, wearing dresses and doesn't like playing with dolls at all. Emily is very insecure about herself and tends to think she is invisible. She only has one friend at school but her most important, secure and compassionate relationships is the one she shares with her sister Sarah. Sarah is the glue that holds the family together. She is a very gentle, loving girl who always tries to see the best in everyone and everything even when they are at there worst. Sarah is more of a mother figure to her little sister than their own actual mother.

Other important characters that take a significant stand within the story is Buza. He is an elderly zulu man and a storyteller who's role within the family is the night watchman/gate keeper. However, he also takes on the much needed role of being Emily's surrogate parent. He is more of a guardian then her parents and takes great pride in educating her in his culture and ways of life.

One of the biggest of the conflict within the family are Emily's parents. They have a very fiery relationships and these fights that they have start over the smallest things, such as chocolates, and then escalate to much bigger things. The sad part is that the only time Lily and Bob seem to have a normal relationship is when they are in the company of other people. So when Bob comes home from one of his walks one day with news some gypsies he has meet and invite to stay in their trailer on their estate, the two girls are ecstatic.

The gypsies aren't really gypsies but are more so travellers. The gypsies consist of Peg and Jock Mallory (the parents) and their sons, Streak and Otis. Otis is the older of the two and suffered from head damage when he was a baby. This damage made him a bit slower than others and because of his slow capacity to learn things, people tended to not bother with him so Otis tended to not know what was right or wrong. Streak is a bit hasty and high spirited. He also has trust issues. The parents of the boys live a strenuous lifestyle due to Jock being a wildlife photographer. The family travel a lot and therefore the boys have never really had the chance to socialize with other children their age. Clearly in any situation this is bound to bring up problems in their life.

It is because of the lack of education that the boys, especially Otis, cause such a disruption within the family. At first, Emily thinks Jock is bad guy and she becomes scared of him. It is not until a faithful night where her fear is re-directed and her life and her sister's life changes forever. I believe it is because of the conflict between parents of the girls and the ignorance of both parents that this event happens. The event could have been inevitable if Otis had of been given them time to be taught what is right and what is wrong. For those you interested read on to find out what actually happens but those who want to read the book for themselves, I don't want to spoil the ending. Therefore stop reading here.

Anyways because of Sarah's loving and compassionate nature, she takes a shine to Otis. She teaches him things and takes the time to talk to him and understand him. No-one else has ever really done this. Sadly, Otis (due to lack of socialization and education) misreads her good intentions. That night, the night that changed everything, Otis rapes Sarah. It is one of the most saddest bits in the book but it gets worse. As I said earlier Sarah is the glue that binds the family and without things fall to pieces. The gypsies leave, Sarah's parents remain ignorant but Emily knows something is wrong. It doesn't take her long to figure it out. The ending of this book was extremely sad and just goes to show that if we don't provide our generation with the love, care, education and support they need, bad things happen. Sarah goes to wash herself in lake as she feels dirty and she unfortunately drowns. It was hardest on Emily and after this her parents finally began to see what their constant cause of conflict and disruption in their girls life has done to them.

This book is very heartfelt and very confronting as things like this do happen in the real world and it isn't just some nightmare that disappears when we wake. Family is one the most strongest forces on this earth. They can make or break a person and completely mould someone's life. Parents are generally role models for their children and they only know what is wrong and what is right by what their parents teach them. There isn't much need to re-explain the types and amounts of conflict in the book as they are very easy to see.