A Field Full of Butterflies

Memories of a Romany Childhood

By: Rosemary Penfold

Narrated by: Anna Bentinck

Rosemary Penfold's beautiful and evocative memoir of her life growing up in the fields of the English countryside is a moving testament to a forgotten world and a disappearing and misunderstood people. Born in 1938 in a traditional Gypsy wagon, surrounded by the love of her parents and extended family in a small but close-knit community, Rosemary paints a vivid and touching portrait of a way of life that no longer exits. From her 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 elegant narrative captures the love and losses, hopes and struggles, and traditions and prejudices that bound her to her family, and helped her adapt to a fast-changing world.

©2011 Rosemary Penfold (P)2011 Orion Publishing Group Limited

enlightening

I come from Romany lines on my mother's side. her family were horse traders. since my mother's passing, when she was nearing the end of her time, learned a little about her family, since her passing, I've been obsessed with learning more.
this book was well written and Anna Bentinck brought so much life to it.

A Field Full of Butterflies

I LOVED this book - however, I was born in the UK and could "connect" to a lot of it. This is just a lovely "Driving Miss Daisy" type book - just a nice story. I purchased because I like the narrater (Anna Benttink) but have now gone on to listen to another of Rosemary Penfold's books.