posted on 17 Aug 2015

Gypsy Girl by Kathryn James

 

Perhaps the rather prurient interest fanned by the recent 'Big Fat Gypsy Wedding' TV series has contributed to more books being written, published and read where the central protagonists are from a Traveller background. This YA novel includes the now familiar flamboyant cultural wedding tradition with huge bejewelled dresses, hair, makeup and other trimmings as central to the narrative.

As the family prepares for the extravaganza, we are introduced to the narrative voice of Sammy Jo, the seventeen year old seventh daughter of a seventh daughter in the Smith family. Despite her position in the large extended family, she has taken on a maternal role in organising her younger sisters wedding as their mother died some years before. Another stereotype associated with the Traveller community is central to the book: that of fighting as a highly regarded and popular sport. All stereotypes have their basis in truth, but this author has taken a step that is probably less realistic and certainly out of the ordinary. We  learn that Sammy Jo is a talented fighter who has won lots of legitimate competitions from a young age but now takes part in regular illegal cage fights to earn money (without the knowledge of her family). She is known in these dubious and dangerous circles as 'Gypsy Girl' and  has a growing reputation for taking on men fighting and always winning. At the same time, she is also falling in love with Gregory, a young man from the other side of the tracks whose family owns the land where the family is temporarily parked for the wedding celebrations, a traditional stopping place for generations. She is resisting a more traditional match with Rocky, who has been identified by her family as a suitable future husband. At the same time she is fiercely proud of her cultural exchanges heritage and aware that marrying outside traditional expectations is risky.

Another complication is that the land next to the stopping place has been bought by some nefarious characters who soon reveal themselves to be be engaged in drug and gun running, which she accidentally witnesses first hand. They are stereotypes in their own right and I feel that the whole tone of this part of the narrative is rather cartoonishish and flat as a result. Sammy Jo is also hounded by some local racist thugs who have loose associations with the criminal gang. Throughout she has plenty of opportunity to prove her fighting prowess and always wins in the end. So I suppose she falls into the role of super heroine who fights evil in every shape and form and is able to still be a dutiful and mature member of her family. As such, she sneaks out regularly late at at night and is taken by her friend Kimmy to different seamy venues where she transforms herself into 'Gypsy Girl' and then returns triumphantly with bruises that she manages to disguise the next day. This is somewhat unbelievable when she appears as the gorgeous chief bridesmaid after a particularly violent fight in the early hours of that morning. In fact, all the seven sisters are described as being physically stunning with long black hair and huge dark eyes - another exotic stereotype.

As the plot develops, she and Gregory are kidnapped and together endure a gruelling experience which results in one of the master criminals being killed. There is a reasonably happy ending for Sammy Jo, marked by a tradition funeral rite for the matriarchal Smith grandmother ( who has died partly as a result of being poisoned by blackberries tainted with drugs by the baddies ). Before her death she provides plenty of oral storytelling, lots of folk wisdom and evidence of second sight for instance predicting death.

This an exciting, fast paced fantasy adventure story with an unusual flavour. I think that it works reasonably well through that lens but not sure how much it reinforces some dubious negative stereotypes. Perhaps I am expecting too much from it? The author works with the Traveller community so presumably is trying to provide an authentic context and so it would be interesting to know how it has been received.

 

Karen Argent

 17th August 2015