A Field Full of Butterflies
On sale
14th April 2011
Price: £12.99
Genre
Biography: General / Nostalgia: General / Romany / Rural Communities
Gypsy tales from the SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author…
Rosemary Penfold was born in 1938 in a traditional Gypsy wagon, and grew up in the fields of the English countryside. In this beautiful and evocative memoir, she recounts her life within a loving extended family and small but close-knit community.
From early memories of her father bringing home oranges during the war, to the simple beauty of a field full of butterflies on a hot summer’s day, Rosemary’s stunningly elegant narrative captures the love and losses, hopes and struggles, traditions and prejudices that bound her to her family and helped her adapt to a fast-changing world.
Rosemary’s story is a moving testament to a forgotten world and a rapidly disappearing way of life.
Rosemary Penfold was born in 1938 in a traditional Gypsy wagon, and grew up in the fields of the English countryside. In this beautiful and evocative memoir, she recounts her life within a loving extended family and small but close-knit community.
From early memories of her father bringing home oranges during the war, to the simple beauty of a field full of butterflies on a hot summer’s day, Rosemary’s stunningly elegant narrative captures the love and losses, hopes and struggles, traditions and prejudices that bound her to her family and helped her adapt to a fast-changing world.
Rosemary’s story is a moving testament to a forgotten world and a rapidly disappearing way of life.
Newsletter Signup
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Reviews
Penfold's warm-hearted story of growing up in a gypsy wagon is rich with the small daily details - shelling peas, soda-soaking tea towels and lighting the tilley lamp - that made up this tight-knit community.
There are no dramatic climaxes in this beautifully written memoir, just a gentle journey through Penfold's childhood that I looked forward to picking up each night ... the most enjoyable thing about this read is that it's a classic coming-of-age story
'An enchanting story of a lost world, related with charm and good humour.'