‘The only walls I knew were the hedgerow. The only ceiling I knew was the vault of the sky. My floor extended across field and moor, woodland and fen.’

These are the words of Patrin. She’s a Gypsy living in 19th-century England. When she first meets Amberline Stark, who is not a Gypsy, she is enamoured by his strangeness and his ambition. They are soon married in the Gypsy way and start a family.

Eglantine, Patrin’s daughter, is the light of her mother’s life. Amberline, however, proves to be a greedy, self-obsessed thief who thinks of nothing but his own grandiose plans. His ambitions lead to a tragedy that will take Patrin and her daughter away from the Gypsy people. Years later, Eglantine is led in the same direction as her father – into a life of thievery. She tries to find her own path and escape the juggernaut of her father’s will, but it looks as if he will steamroll right over her, just as he has done with others who have made the mistake of loving him.

Gypsies, or Roma, are a people who have largely been shrouded in mystery. Through the author’s exquisite language we learn that they were not so different from Native Americans or our own Indigenous people; they lived off the land, bathed in rivers and followed the seasons, ruled by their own centuries-old traditions and rituals. It was fascinating to learn about the Gypsy way of life through the eyes of Patrin and Eglantine, two intriguing female characters. Price weaves a magical tale that is rich in history and atmosphere that will sing to your traveller’s soul.

Reviewed by Joanna Rogers