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 Lolly’s innocence is chattered not only by the cruelty of her father to her favorite feline, but also, at the expense of a murder. To qualify this piece of literature as a murder mystery is to only understand a small portion of the story itself – for it is much more.
Reviewed by Victoria Douglas
Lessons from the Gypsy Camp
by Elizabeth Appell
Hardcover: 298 pages ;
Publisher: Scribes Valley Publishing Co.; (March 2004)
ISBN: 0974265217
Spring 1955 festers with the ache of young Lolly’s desire not only to change her corner of the world, but also to understand what shapes and motivates the actions of the adults, who most influence her reality. Lessons from the Gypsy Camp by Elizabeth Appell is compelling to the adult and adolescent reader alike from its very first lines, “’[y}ou can do this.’ Lolly whispered to her reflection on the huge antique mirror. Jittery as a wind-up toy, Lolly stood in the coolness of the marble entry hall and chewed her cuticle. ‘You can. Tonight’s going to be different.’” Is change possible? Will it truly be different this time? Such are the questions that enter the reader’s mind prior to even turning the page; the reader is now engulfed in the work.
Our young, auburn haired, protagonist, Lolly Candolin, exudes optimism in the face of blatant physical, psychological, and emotional abuse on the part of her prominent attorney father. Without graphic violence, the reader is invited into Lolly’s home, as the silent sibling she never had – offering figurative support to her resolve to confront her father – to establish her identity as a valued member of the family – and, finally, to gasp for breath upon her father’s rejections and her mother’s narcotic induced apathy. At each stride, a stepping-stone in this eloquent female-centric bildungsroman is cemented.
School does not offer an escape for Lolly from the struggles she faces at home. Lolly’s devout Catholic education only serves as another means by which her rebellion is strengthened. Admonished and punished for showing anger, Lolly is forced by her instructor, a Nun, to explain and apologize for her anger. Lolly uses the opportunity to bluntly illustrate the hypocrisy of the assignment. The reader views much more than what Lolly is teaching: the resolve and acute intelligence of this young girl. It is her intelligence, arising largely from her astute observations about people and life that enable the reader to meet and understand the impact of the adeptly developed gypsies, who follow in subsequent scenes.
Rebellion neighbors conformity born from religious and political tradition in a work, which offers life lessons from the Gypsy Camp. Ironically, Lolly finds herself discovering those who spend their lives on the periphery of society know the heart of substantive existence – the gypsies. This juxtaposition is underlined by the Victorian icons that weave their way into the storyline: the Victorian home in which Lolly and her family reside; her hair cutting rebellion; and the eventual end of her innocence. Lolly’s innocence is chattered not only by the cruelty of her father to her favorite feline, but also, at the expense of a murder. To qualify this piece of literature as a murder mystery is to only understand a small portion of the story itself – for it is much more.
Beyond her home – lie the gypsies. Making her way to the levee – and to the “peculiar” gypsies- an air of mystery surrounds Lolly: “A huge white moon hung over the dry river bottom. A lonely howl came from far away. And then, from behind her, the sound of a whisper scared her and she whirled around. Nobody. It must have been the wind playing through the grasses.” The author utilizes precise and haunting words that allow the reader to not only visualize the scene, but also to feel the wind and hear the whisper in the silence of the room in which one is reading the words on the page. Despite the eerie image, despite what she had been told by the adults she distrusted, and despite her fear, Lolly astutely reasons through the situation: “[m]aking her way over the gravel track, she came to a point where she could look down on the gypsy encampment on the river bottom. We’re neighbors, she thought. These people live as close to us as some of the most important people in town.”
Lolly’s logic does not always triumph, however. Her youth delightfully allows the reader to discover new adventures along the way. Lolly encounters monsters and lively spirits, which move the reader to both laughter and tears.
In the end, it is a search for truth; not her truth–not that of her family, but, the truth of authenticity.
About the reviewer: Victoria Douglas' accomplished public relations and communications career not only spans municipal government, private industry, and the non-profit sector, but also extends over two continents. While stateside, Victoria served as the Director of Communications in Municipal Government, where she developed successful strategies for crisis communication management in addition to authoring several notable speeches by Wilmington's first African American Mayor, James H. Sills, Jr. As the Editor of three business and economic texts, educator, and communications professional, Victoria was invited to implement curriculum and teach English at the University level in France. Today, Victoria heads a dynamic team of marketing and communications professionals who are client team builders and results focused. Victoria holds a B.A. in English Literature, French Literature, and a Minor in Philosophy; and, an M.A. in French Literature. The requirements for her degree in English Literature were completed at Oxford University. Her website can be found at www.barracudacommunications.net
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