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Lessons From The Gypsy Camp
Young Lolly Candolin journeys into a forbidden gypsy camp, befriends many lively outcasts, and unwittingly becomes entangled in murder. Knowing who the true killer is, Lolly struggles with the decision to either speak up, thus setting an innocent man free and devastating her abusive lawyer father hell-bent on destroying the gypsies, or remain quiet and allow a terrible injustice.
298 pages, Hardcover
First published February 15, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 8, 2013
I loved this book. It is a beautifully written book, set in the 40s in California, about learning lessons. I loved the characters but Lolly, our 10 year old protagonist and her grandpa stood out for me. I loved the conflict that the book presented between being taught to do right and actually doing it against all odds.
Lolly is a bright sensitive girl who sees and experiences things we think we shield our 10 year olds from. The book addressed the baggage we all carry as the past and the fact that whether we are insightful or not we may be punishing someone for feelings we have that are caused by others in our experience.
Prejudice, fear, ignorance and snobbery are all themes which weave this magical tale together. I found reading about Bo and Cougar difficult as I love cats, big and small and have my own cats, but this bittersweet tale is worth the journey.
Lolly is a bright sensitive girl who sees and experiences things we think we shield our 10 year olds from. The book addressed the baggage we all carry as the past and the fact that whether we are insightful or not we may be punishing someone for feelings we have that are caused by others in our experience.
Prejudice, fear, ignorance and snobbery are all themes which weave this magical tale together. I found reading about Bo and Cougar difficult as I love cats, big and small and have my own cats, but this bittersweet tale is worth the journey.
June 12, 2013
Wow! I truly loved this book! Though I asume it's written for younger people, I enjoyed it from the first to the last page and I always wondered what would happen next in the life of our main character, Lolly Candoline. I believe this is a book that should be translated into many languages. It's a book my younger self would have appreciated too, I'm sure of that (and I was picky when it came to books ;) ).
Before I say something about the story, I want to mention the beautiful cover! At first I saw nothing special in it, but after reading the book, I noticed some hidden messages (or I believe I did so :p ). We see a young girl stooping (don't know if this is the right verb, but I don't know another one...). It seems she's not able to stand up straight because she's suffering under the tyranny of her father. Her father is presented as a dark shadow, like he's a shadow always hanging over Lolly's life. In the other corner of this cover we see the cougar Lolly meets in the gypsy camp. This cougar is the best pronounced picture of the three items on the cover. Maybe we can interpret this as a symbol for the strong character Lolly always shows.
That being said, I'd like to tell something about the story. It's just wonderful! "Lessons from the gypsy camp" tells us about a part of Lolly Candolines childhood. She's a young girl with everything she can possibly want in life. But her life only seems to be carefree. What most people don't know when they see her is that her mother is depressed all the time, her father is a tyrant who drinks every night untill he's completely wasted and Loly isn't accepted at school by the other girls. On top of that Lolly discovered some true friends in a gypsy camp, Cougarville, where she isn't allowed to go. Nevertheless she visits her friends often and helps them where she can (because people in the city want the gypsies to go and Lolly's father is one of those people). In defending the gypsies, Lolly denies her fater... or he believes so. This doesn't benefit their already poor relationship and problems seem to get bigger for Lolly every day. The rule her father always goes by, is that there are always consequences for everything you do in life...
When reading this book, it seems like you are Lolly. You feel with her, you go with her on her trips to the gypsy camp, you could even cry when she finds her dead cat and burries him together with her gypsy friend, Tick. You start to hate Lolly's father, Regan Candoline, with her. At the same time you feel some compassion for this lost man, just like Lolly does. This makes you understand the confussion she feels all the time.
This book tells us more about an average family with (more than) average problems. It's a story with some lessons for younger readers and on top of that it's just an enjoyable story I recommend to everyone.
Before I say something about the story, I want to mention the beautiful cover! At first I saw nothing special in it, but after reading the book, I noticed some hidden messages (or I believe I did so :p ). We see a young girl stooping (don't know if this is the right verb, but I don't know another one...). It seems she's not able to stand up straight because she's suffering under the tyranny of her father. Her father is presented as a dark shadow, like he's a shadow always hanging over Lolly's life. In the other corner of this cover we see the cougar Lolly meets in the gypsy camp. This cougar is the best pronounced picture of the three items on the cover. Maybe we can interpret this as a symbol for the strong character Lolly always shows.
That being said, I'd like to tell something about the story. It's just wonderful! "Lessons from the gypsy camp" tells us about a part of Lolly Candolines childhood. She's a young girl with everything she can possibly want in life. But her life only seems to be carefree. What most people don't know when they see her is that her mother is depressed all the time, her father is a tyrant who drinks every night untill he's completely wasted and Loly isn't accepted at school by the other girls. On top of that Lolly discovered some true friends in a gypsy camp, Cougarville, where she isn't allowed to go. Nevertheless she visits her friends often and helps them where she can (because people in the city want the gypsies to go and Lolly's father is one of those people). In defending the gypsies, Lolly denies her fater... or he believes so. This doesn't benefit their already poor relationship and problems seem to get bigger for Lolly every day. The rule her father always goes by, is that there are always consequences for everything you do in life...
When reading this book, it seems like you are Lolly. You feel with her, you go with her on her trips to the gypsy camp, you could even cry when she finds her dead cat and burries him together with her gypsy friend, Tick. You start to hate Lolly's father, Regan Candoline, with her. At the same time you feel some compassion for this lost man, just like Lolly does. This makes you understand the confussion she feels all the time.
This book tells us more about an average family with (more than) average problems. It's a story with some lessons for younger readers and on top of that it's just an enjoyable story I recommend to everyone.
May 12, 2023
I enjoyed this book so much that I've talked my book club into reading it. It was a quick, easy, delightful read about a young girl you will come to love.
Profanity in the second chapter, if you can get past that. The book club is skipping that chapter. 😁
Profanity in the second chapter, if you can get past that. The book club is skipping that chapter. 😁
February 23, 2013
Lessons from the Gypsy Camp (Elizabeth Appell)
Lolly Candolin has been told her whole life not to cross the levee to the Gypys camp. Her father is a strict prosecuting attorney, he is quite hard on Lolly. Her Mother is a sophisticated wife who takes pills to keep her calm.
Young Lolly wants to be accepted, by her school mates and her parents, yet she is outspoken with a rebellious attitude. One day she disobeys her father and crosses the levee to the Gypsy camp.
Then a tragic event happens and a man ends up dead. Lolly learns the truth and she is faced with a moral dilemma, to speak up and obey her father, or remain quiet as an unjust event will occur.
Well written all night read. I really enjoyed Lessons from the Gypsy Campand would love to read more from Elizabeth Appell.
Lolly Candolin has been told her whole life not to cross the levee to the Gypys camp. Her father is a strict prosecuting attorney, he is quite hard on Lolly. Her Mother is a sophisticated wife who takes pills to keep her calm.
Young Lolly wants to be accepted, by her school mates and her parents, yet she is outspoken with a rebellious attitude. One day she disobeys her father and crosses the levee to the Gypsy camp.
Then a tragic event happens and a man ends up dead. Lolly learns the truth and she is faced with a moral dilemma, to speak up and obey her father, or remain quiet as an unjust event will occur.
Well written all night read. I really enjoyed Lessons from the Gypsy Campand would love to read more from Elizabeth Appell.
March 21, 2013
As a small child, Lolly is picked on and bullied by many, including her father. Her father works for the city. She attends a Catholic school. Her mother is an artist with a pill popping problem due to her dad. Her dad is an alcoholic and drinks "horns of corn".
On the other side of the levee is a small little area they call Cougarville, the Gypsy Camp.
Her dad, the drunk, believes in "consequences" for every person's actions. The town, shuns all of those that live or go into the Gypsy Camp unless it's the county officials.
Lolly cannot stand her dad as her threw her cat that she'd had for 10 years, her whole life, over the levee. She was determined to find "Bo", her cat.
She's forbidden to go on the other side of the levee, to the Gypsy Camp. She is very hurt.
Does she find her cat? Will she go to the other side of the Levee? Do you want to know what the secret is that hides over at the Gypsy Camp?
On the other side of the levee is a small little area they call Cougarville, the Gypsy Camp.
Her dad, the drunk, believes in "consequences" for every person's actions. The town, shuns all of those that live or go into the Gypsy Camp unless it's the county officials.
Lolly cannot stand her dad as her threw her cat that she'd had for 10 years, her whole life, over the levee. She was determined to find "Bo", her cat.
She's forbidden to go on the other side of the levee, to the Gypsy Camp. She is very hurt.
Does she find her cat? Will she go to the other side of the Levee? Do you want to know what the secret is that hides over at the Gypsy Camp?
September 12, 2013
In her stunning debut novel, Lessons From The Gypsy Camp, Elizabeth Appell explores human nature and forgiveness through the eyes of a young girl. Though she is young and vibrant, Lolly's life is not at all easy. Her father, a high-powered lawyer, spends his evenings getting drunk on "horns of corn" and her mother sleeps the days away on depression medication. To make matters worse, the girls at school tease Lolly, and when she stands up for herself, she only gets in trouble.
Read the rest of this review at Underground Book Reviews (dot) com.
Read the rest of this review at Underground Book Reviews (dot) com.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews