This book is the memoir of a girl who grew up in a family of travelling showpeople. She spent decades with them travelling across Scotland working at fairgrounds. Her story is very interesting in several ways. For one, we see life in Scotland between the 1940’s and 1960’s. We meet a variety of characters and learn a lot about their lives and choices. Second, this book teaches us, in a personal tone, a lot about the lives and practices of travelling people. We get an insider's view into the people who bring fairgrounds to us.

‍

However, the most interesting part of the book in fact - and its main theme - is not the life of travellers. The book is themed around Jean’s mother and her desire to settle down into a normal life. We see the true story of a woman who unwittingly married into the traveller’s community. She spent decades after that trying to get her family out of that environment and settled into a house. We see - through the eyes of her daughter - how this remarkable woman remained in a marriage that was difficult; that tied her to a lifestyle that she disliked; but who managed to make her family trailer’ a ‘happy home’ for everyone.

‍

Indeed this is a gripping story about a woman who made the best out of very problematic circumstances. The book shows you a detailed picture of a dedicated, able and overall amazing woman. Your heart will follow her through her troubles, and you will learn a lot about how people of the past made their marriages work. All the while you will be learning Scottish folk history.

‍

A very profitable and worthwhile book. It is well written, honest and engaging. It reads as easily as fiction, but it is better than that in that it is true. I particularly like the way the author manages to describe difficult characters in her family without judging them, allowing her reader to love them despite their character flaws. 

‍