The Gypsy Life – Then and Now ~ by Pam Crooks

When I wrote LADY GYPSY a number of years ago, I–as always–surrounded myself with a pile of research books. It’s always been important to me to write a book as historically accurate as possible, not only to give the story realism but to teach my readers a little something, too. After all, if one reads historical romance, one can assume they love the history, too, right?

I read those research books cover to cover, and by the time I immersed myself in Liza and Reese’s story, I had a good feel for Liza as a character. It was easy to weave in tidbits of Gypsy information that helped Liza be as different from Reese (a non-Gypsy, of course) as she could be, shaping the conflict that is important to any well-written storyline. Every book that I write, I hope to make my readers wonder “How will these two ever overcome the obstacles that are keeping them apart? How can they reach their happy-ever-after?”

Trust me, Liza and Reese do. 🙂

It’s believed by some that the Gypsies first originated in Egypt centuries ago, hence their name, though others claim India even earlier than that. Regardless, this nomadic ethnic group came to America in the 1500s as slaves, then eventually migrated across the country living their itinerant lifestyle, becoming such a curiosity that they were often feared and mostly despised. They disdained formal education and community rules, shunned foreigners in their midst, often got into trouble with the law from their thievery and drinking, and generally made nuisances of themselves upon their arrival.

Interestingly, the Gypsies are still alive and thriving today, although some prefer to be called ‘Romani’ instead of Gypsy. They cling to their old traditions, embrace strong family ties, and still travel in large ‘kumpanias‘ or family groups. The high-wheeled wagons have been replaced by campers pulled by pickup trucks and sedans. They snap selfies of themselves and have embraced much of the American and European lifestyles. They believe in God but also believe in ghosts and evil spells. Upon reaching their destinations, they live in Gypsy camps located in the periphery of the city and stay for days at a time, much to the dismay of the local police and city leaders.

The modern-day Gypsy has certainly evolved from the way they lived in the 1800s, as I’ve depicted them. They are better educated, more affluent, less transient.  They labor at jobs like roofing, laying blacktop, or training horses. The older generation insist that the younger marry Gypsies to protect their race. Of course, as is inevitable, the youth follow their own minds, and the bloodlines have become diluted from inter-marrying.

Still, they have a fascinating history that time will never take away.

Until next time . . . Baxt hai sastimos tiri patragi – Romani for “Wishing luck and good health”

Have you ever met a Gypsy?

(My mother has told how they would come to her family’s farm for food, and my grandmother always gave them something to eat.)

Do you or your family have any quirks the rest of us would think a bit strange?

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Liza was born to roam the land with her mother’s people, but she is shamed by the sin that made her forever different.

Reese has set down roots deep in the Nebraska prairie.  His dreams are sure to come true with a new railroad and a proper wife and child.

But Liza is accused unfairly by Reese’s people, and she is forced to flee the security of her world to see safety in his.  When Reese’s careful plans for success are threatened, he must fight to save all he’s ever worked for.

Will it cost him the love he’s found with the beautiful, black-eyed woman with red-gold hair?  His Lady Gypsy?

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Pam has written 30 romances, most of them historical westerns, but she's proud of her contemporary sweet romances featuring the Blackstone Ranch series published by Tule Publishing, too! Stay up on the latest at www.pamcrooks.com

30 thoughts on “The Gypsy Life – Then and Now ~ by Pam Crooks”

    • Good morning, Denise! No doubt, time has erased some of their strangeness, and they have assimilated well into our society, making them less (for lack of a better word) obvious.

  1. Good morning Pam! This is a twist! And enjoyed your post today! I love Bohemian style! And I have a few gypsy wagons pinned on my Pinterest page! LOL Never met a gypsy that I know of. Quirks? My children have always said my mother’s side of the family are kinda strange. I never noticed really. They are artists and crafters. And seem to say what they are thinking! LOL But, I am use to it I guess.

    Best wishes Pam!

    • Funny about your pinned Gypsy wagons, Tracy!! Yes, artists tend to have a reputation for being quirky. It’s their creative side coming out, I think, that makes them express themselves. Personally, I admire artists who have a vision and then the ability and talent to make it happen.

      Thanks, as always, for stopping by, Tracy!!

  2. I have never met a Gypsy. Now years ago we lived close to the rail road tracks and every so often a Hobo would show up and my mother would fix the a sandwich and send them on their way.

    • Oh, hobos are another great example of an itinerant lifestyle, aren’t they? They would be comparable to the homeless today. I wonder if the railroads have cracked down on hobos catching rides on their trains or hanging out in their railroad yards. I suspect so . . . you don’t hear much about hobos as much today.

  3. That I know of, I’ve never met any Romani. I do like to learn things, though, so this is great! I loved History in school!! Actually, it reminds me of the Big Valley episode where Nick traveled with three Romani women to make sure they got safely where they were going. I think he was the one that shot the man with them, and he stayed with the Barkley’s until he could travel.

    • Oh, I’ll have to check out that Big Valley episode, Trudy! Maybe they depicted the three women much as I did Liza in that time period. You’ve got me curious now!

      So glad you learned something fun today!

  4. A number of years ago my family related to me about a gypsy family/train stopped just south of our hometown as the grandfather/leader of their group was ill. In fact he was dying. TGhey remained camped here until the grandfather/leader passed away. Then they moved on. I was already married when this occurred, so I was probably in my 20’s or late 30’s. I have never seen a gypsy other than on tv programs.

    • Good morning, Judy! I watched a documentary that mentioned how the Gypsies’ world pretty much stops when a family member is dying. In fact, one young lady had been planning her wedding when her uncle fell ill. All plans for her wedding ended, and evidently, the uncle was ill for quite some time. The poor girl never did get married but ended up moving in with her fiance. She had to have been disappointed, I would think, to be robbed of her special day like that. Then again . . . maybe she just accepted it, eh?

  5. No, I have never met a gypsy. But, having read this book, my world of getting acquainted with them has blossomed. This is an incredible book and the amount of research you must have done just amazes me. So glad I discovered YOU because I am a true fan! This is a profound d book. And, a beautiful love story against all odds!

    • Kathy, thank you for being so sweet and devoted to my books! My heart is happy. I also saw your review on Amazon (I’m pretty sure it was yours), and it means so much. You have no idea. The hard work (and writing and researching a book IS hard work!) is worth it for beloved readers like you. Hugs!

  6. I am reading Lady Gypsy now. Their culture as always fascinated me. I encountered bands of gypsies in Spain and Ireland.

    • Oooh! Interesting! If you read this and have a few minutes, tell us about it. Yes, Gypsies do have a big presence in Europe, especially France from what I understand.

  7. I appreciate it when books are as historically accurate as possible because references to wrong time periods etc. can throw the book off. But when I notice it I keep in mind that it’s for the storyline.

    Over the years there have been groups of traveling gypsies that come to my hometown and ask to swab some type of black slurry onto asphalt driveways, parking lots and roofs. The sheriff’s office usually puts out a warning because it can be difficult to get a price from them before they start working plus you probably don’t need what they’re offering in the first place.

    • Rachel, you’re so right that a writer’s mistakes can really throw off a reader’s experience, and that’s a shame. No author wants that for her hard work.

      Interesting about the black slurry! Like I depicted in my blog, Gypsies do alot of surface and roof work. Makes me wonder why that and not something else like carpentry, mechanics, or whatever (although I’m sure some do.) But yeesh – if the sheriff is putting out warnings, that’s not good for business, is it? :-/

  8. When my brother started researching our family history, there was talk that there was Romani somewhere back in my mother’s family. Her side of the family is exclusively French in its background going back to the first fur traders and settlers in Canada. There is one man generations back that was an officer from Eastern Europe but I doubt he was Romani. My father’s side of the family is primarily of French background also going back to the original settlers in Canada. There are Irish ancestors that came over in the mid 1860’s about the time of the famine. Canada did much to aid the Irish during that time. Bothe sides of the family crossed into the US during my great grandparents’ time and my grandparents were born here.
    Gypsies may come into the area, but not that often. I do know that warnings go out in many places when they come to town. Evidently not all are honest. Per the previous comment, they are known for the driveway scam. It is quick and easy to do and they can be gone before the homeowner realizes there is a problem. The trades that require an extended time to work are harder to cheat at and they are likely to get caught before they can get their money and leave. There are also groups called Travellers who are Irish scammers who operate in a similar way. Money laundering, theft, acting as contractors, and also the driveway scam seem to be their specialty.

    • Genealogy is fascinating, and our lineage is really something we should all know. I’m amazed you’re familiar with the driveway scam that Rachel mentioned, Pat!! The Gypsies/Romani are a beautiful people, but it’s sad that they are known for the actions of a few. I’m sure there are many honest Gypsies working honest jobs, but boy, it’s hard to get out from under that stigma, isn’t it?

      Thanks for chiming in, Pat. Always interesting!

  9. I just bought the book. I love trying new ones. I haven’t ever met any Gypsies or Romani, except in books. 😉

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