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A review by ericvormelker
Along the Enchanted Way: A Story of Love and Life in Romania by William Blacker
4.0
I'm honestly not quite sure where to start with this. Early on, I found myself thinking about the author's arrogant privilege of being British, but the more I kept with it the more I found myself appreciating his love and open acceptance of the rural Romanians and Gypsies. And that alone, his consistent use of the term 'Gypsies' (Tsigani or Roma is more appropriate) grated on me over and over, despite his clear passionate appreciation for them.
That said, I really appreciated his innocent bravery, living with them, and giving us an inside look at some of them. I play Romanian, Hungarian and Roma music, and it's some of my favorite music and have had the fortune to hang out with Roma musicians when they were on tour. This gave me an additional look into their lives and, in retrospect, made me wonder even more at their journey that brought them here to the US to tour.
Along with his showing us Roma life, showing us the pastoral lives of other Romanians in Breb was just so lovely and special, and a bit surreal, like traveling back into the 1800's England and Thomas Hardy. I'm amazed that he was aware of the place, and savvy enough to choose to make that leap into that window of time right after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
I have friends that travelled there before then, folk dancers, and it makes me understand just a little more about how special their trips were. And now I envy them just a little, and want to go myself even though I know that it won't at all be the same.
That said, I really appreciated his innocent bravery, living with them, and giving us an inside look at some of them. I play Romanian, Hungarian and Roma music, and it's some of my favorite music and have had the fortune to hang out with Roma musicians when they were on tour. This gave me an additional look into their lives and, in retrospect, made me wonder even more at their journey that brought them here to the US to tour.
Along with his showing us Roma life, showing us the pastoral lives of other Romanians in Breb was just so lovely and special, and a bit surreal, like traveling back into the 1800's England and Thomas Hardy. I'm amazed that he was aware of the place, and savvy enough to choose to make that leap into that window of time right after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
I have friends that travelled there before then, folk dancers, and it makes me understand just a little more about how special their trips were. And now I envy them just a little, and want to go myself even though I know that it won't at all be the same.