The Pavee and the Buffer Girl

by Siobhan Dowd, Emma Shoard (Illustrator)

Jim and his family have halted by Dundray and the education people have been round mouthing the law. In school the Traveller kids suffer at the hands of teachers and other pupils alike, called 'tinker-stinkers', 'dirty gyps' and worse. Then the punches start. The only friendly face is Kit, a settled girl who takes Jim under her wing and teaches him to read in the great cathedral chamber of the cave below the town. With Kit and the reading, Jim seems to have found a way to exist in Dundray, but everyday prejudice and a shocking act of violence see his life uprooted

Genres: Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Short Stories, Friendship, Contemporary

112 pages, Paperback

Published March 2, 2017

About the author

Siobhan Dowd was born to Irish parents and brought up in London. She spent much of her youth visiting the family cottage in Aglish, County Waterford and later the family home in Wicklow Town.

She attended a Catholic grammar school in south London and then gained a degree in Classics at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University. After a short stint in publishing, she joined the writer's organization PEN, initially as a researcher for its Writers in Prison Committee.

She went on to be Program Director of PEN American Center's Freedom-to-Write Committee in New York City. Her work here included founding and leading the Rushdie Defense Committee USA and traveling to Indonesia and Guatemala to investigate local human rights conditions for writers. During her seven-year spell in New York, Siobhan was named one of the "top 100 Irish-Americans" by Irish-America Magazine and AerLingus, for her global anti-censorship work.

On her return to the UK, Siobhan co-founded English PEN's readers and writers programme, which takes authors into schools in socially deprived areas, as well as prisons, young offender's institutions and community projects.

During 2004, Siobhan served as Deputy Commissioner for Children's Rights in Oxfordshire, working with local government to ensure that statutory services affecting children's lives conform with UN protocols.
Siobhan has an MA with Distinction in Gender and Ethnic Studies at Greenwich University, has authored short stories, columns and articles, and edited two anthologies.

In May 2007, Siobhan was named one of "25 authors of the future" by Waterstones Books as part of the latter's 25th anniversary celebrations.

Siobhan died on 21st August 2007 aged 47. She had been receiving treatment for advanced breast cancer for 3 years, and did not go gentle into that good night.

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely short story with beautiful water colour illustrations

[Olagia.Trinia · Rating 4 out of 5]

-Siobhan Dowd

Plot

The narrative centers on a young man named Jim (Pavee) and a girl named Kit (Buffer), who first met in the town of Dundray and led quite different lives in the Irish countryside. The child Jim and his family arrived in Dundray as temporary residents along with other communities of travelers, but the town of Dundray is not welcoming to people like Jim and the communities of travelers since locals there dislike such communities or refer to them as "gipsies."
Because Jim lacks reading and writing skills, he will soon have to negotiate a difficult environment filled with bullying and name-calling. But everything changes when Jim meets Kit, who takes him under her wing and teaches him how to live. Even though Jim strives to avoid getting into trouble, their love continues to develop despite the fact that daily bigotry and senseless violence threaten to destroy all of their lives. He is still being picked on, and as it keeps happening, he becomes angry and fights back to defend his rights and attempt to reduce the situation. The Buffer people in Dundray town put Jims and the Traveler communities on edge, making it difficult to resolve issues in the end.
They were being searched by the buffer police, who went into the caravan community to seek for items since there was a commotion going on there. The police repeatedly gave them eviction notices to tell them to leave the area because the landowner had ordered them to do so. Jim was extremely angry with the Buffer people because his youngest cousin, who attended school as well, was being bullied and tortured, and he witnessed his cousin being tied to a table and knocked unconscious. A while ago, when he arrived at school, he asked his two cousins where their other cousin had gone. Kit came running over to him to inform him that his other cousin was in trouble somewhere, and as he was pondering where he was, Jim realized that he was in the same situation. The two went to the library to see his cousin there and then proceeded to his cousin's library room to free him, but Jim was so furious that he yelled at Kit, saying:

“You leave him,” he wailed. “Yous keep yous dirty filthy Buffers fingers off him. Yous Bastard Buffers, I’ll pay you all out, yous_”

Kit tried to assist but was swiftly pushed away and forced to leave the library. Before the major event, it was night, and Jim and other family members were gathered around a campfire debating whether or not to leave or stay; once the discussion was through, they made the decision to leave the town, travel to England, and cross another body of water. Everyone eventually retired to their rooms and went to sleep, but Jim's mam and he remained outside, listening to the campfire's silence. The next day, in the afternoon, they had to pack up, but Jim went outside to say goodbye to Kit before he left in his secret cave, which only the two of them knew. Jim waits for Kit to enter the cave, wondering what he just said to her and pushing her away. He feels bad and wonders if Kit will visit him in the cave again. When Kit finally entered the cave, it appeared as though she was holding a bottle of Coke, and Jim couldn't help but smile when Kit entered the cave smiling.

They were enjoying their time in the cave until they turned off the torch and sat down on a boulder to speak about being "reincarnated." As they talked in the dark, Kit noticed that she was running late for her father's supper and got to her feet. Jim gives Kite a black stone, round, shiny egg as a farewell gift as they leave the cave and says to Kit:

“A real Dundray beauty.”

He waved farewell to Kit before sprinting back towards the town. As he got farther away, he could still make out Kit's silhouette and wondered if she was still able to see him. When his dad started to worry where he was, his mother winked at him and said, "Saying goodbye to his skylarks."

This is typical because it is a slice-of-life story set in the Irish countryside, a telling of true facts about the lives of people in Ireland and how they lived and went about their daily activities. This story also contains some important information about bullying, how society views those who are different from them, and the mental health of those who experienced it. The illustrator for the graphic novels, who created those using watercolors, may convey that everything in the tale is normal in real life since it is based on real-world facts. Pictures are wonderful at conveying a story's topic because they are straightforward and pure. They can also be dark when dark watercolor is used in the story's structure.

Everything takes place during the month they spend in Dundray as a temporary residence before moving on. It may seem like they stayed longer, but they left the town sooner.

The novel starts off on a calm day, which is a wonderful start for Jim's family and the Traveler communities, but as we continue, the story warms up as Jim meets nice people and turns poisonous and depressing when he arrives at school and encounters a group of bullies.

The story's events occur sequentially, beginning with the moment they landed in Dundray and remained there for a week and ending with the moment he started attending school there.

Characters

Jim, one of the major protagonists, is a traveler who belongs to a community of family travelers known as "Pavee" in Ireland.
Jim is extremely respectful of his parents and family, as well as other good individuals that he is appreciative of for their assistance and generosity. As a result, I would characterize Jim as a caring, kind, courteous, and chivalrous boy. However, Jim always tries to manage his emotions around unpleasant individuals. However, when they start to get on his nerves, his emotions can go out of control, and he can become quite furious.

The second character in the narrative is Kit, who was known as Buffer and was a lifelong resident of Dundray. In Ireland, people referred to persons who lived in urban areas as "city slickers" or "buffers." She is also Jim's supporter and helps him get by in Dundray.

They were extensively and occasionally briefly described by the author. For instance, the main character Jim has more character information than Kit because Jim receives more attention in the narrative regarding how he feels, what he does, and how his journey unfolds; Kit, on the other hand, receives less attention because her role in the narrative is that of Jim's lover and a friend who can provide assistance in surviving in Dundray; even the other characters do not have a lot of detail.

The character I identify with the most is Kit, who is an educated young woman with a more pure personality than the other residents of Dundray. Kit was the one who was supportive of Jim's academic endeavors and taught him how to survive in Dundray. The second character I like is Jim's mother. I like her because she raised Jim to be a gentleman toward everyone and to respect himself in situations where he had to test it out. If Jim didn't succeed at school, it was okay to prevent him from attending because of that.

When I read the book, I didn't seem to dislike any of the characters, but each of them had a special motivation for acting the way they did—even the villains who harmed Jim, Kit, and the Traveler communities. The book simply contained real information about individuals who exist in the real world and who are similar to those individuals.

Jim and Kit's relationship was the focus of the novel, as stated in the book's introduction, which is why I picked it up since I anticipated a cute romance. Because Jims had to move far away from Kit after growing close to her for a few weeks or perhaps a month, I would characterize their relationship as a long-distance romantic one. When two people feel strongly about each other despite being separated by great distances, that is referred to as a long-distance romantic relationship.

The characters that changed throughout the narrative are Jim, Kit, and possibly the communities of travelers. At first, Jim and the Communities of Travelers believed they had a place to stay in Dundray for an extended period of time, but as soon as Jim and his three cousins started attending school, things became difficult when they were taunted by the Buffer people. But Kit was unable to connect with people in Dundray because she was aware of the town's nasty nature. However, when it comes to Jim, their attitudes and feelings alter as the novel progresses, and as Jim moves farther away, their feelings get stronger.

Comments on style

In the third person (he/she), the narrative is written. This is crucial to the plot since it enables readers to hear a character's thoughts as they are having them and get insight into their motives.

The description of the setting is sparse. For instance, when the story discusses the settings, it only mentions the locations where the action takes place, such as at the beginning of the first chapter when Jim's mam speaks to him and he waves back, and this is all they want the reader to know about the settings: "Calor gas bottles round the trailers." It also mentions that Jim's mam is wearing yellow and that the calor gas bottles are yellow, but only for the trailer. Yet, rural living in Carvan should give the reader a good idea of the area; however, I believe that the story's settings need to be described in more detail.
More exists. I want to talk about the scene on page 13 where they enter the school for the first time and simply take a look around it without describing its appearance to the reader. Instead, the reader is left to infer what an Irish school might look like based on the illustrations, which provide more detail than the story itself, but keep in mind that the book is intended for young readers.

In the story, Jim experiences love and hate emotions, such as being saved by the owner of the fish and chip shop, which made him feel relieved and perhaps a little grateful. Jim also experienced love and hate emotions when he had someone to be friends with and learn how to survive in secondary school, which would be Kit, and when he felt angry with others when they did too much and didn't listen to him or his family, he would try to fight, even resorting to beating up bullies and falling in love with Kit in the cave, with all the feelings he displays to her and those of Kit as well. Other characters are also noted for how they acted and felt in various scenarios.
The reader will be aware of the feelings that the character is now experiencing, even while they are doing so, since it is not a profound feeling or behavior but rather a plain and actual fact of what people do in real life.

It was a good story because there are many real-life situations about traveling children and racism in it. Readers of all ages can read it and learn about how to survive and deal with characters; eventually, they will be able to handle those situations by reading this book while learning them at the same time. When they read this story book, they will also see the viewpoint of how people treat Jims and the Traveler communities and how they feel.

Everything in the story is good, but I feel like there is something missing from the characters. For example, I would like more information about the younger cousin who attended school with Jim and his two cousins. I wonder how he ended up in that situation in the first place and what he thought of his new school. I would also like to know how he manages to get by without anyone to turn to for support.
I also want to include Kit's perspective on her life, how she interacts with Jim, and what her life is like in Dundray in the novel. The other characters might use additional backstory information because it feels as though it lacks those aspects.

General

I believe that the author was motivated to write this story because it has a tenuous connection to her real life in the narrative and how she felt while creating it. I also believe that she wanted to educate readers about racist attitudes toward traveling children and the difficulties they faced as a result of people being insensitive to their differences.
Name-calling and senseless acts of violence threaten to upend all of their lives, which is why she is a member of human rights charities. After her passing, they established the Siobhan Down Trust Foundation, and the proceeds from her book will be donated to underprivileged children. She made the offer to herself.

When I finished reading the book about the life journey of a traveling child, I was filled with feelings of anger, confusion, sadness, and love. It also made me reflect on my own life and how grateful I am to have people in it who can assist me if I find myself in a situation where I am unsure of what to do. I also felt bad for the traveling children who are currently going through it because their town would not want them there due to their negative reputation as gipsies or pavees
The fact that the characters are travelers like their parents, who frequently migrate in search of a place to settle down, and how we are able to see their point of view in the novels makes me think it is necessary to emphasize how fantastic they are.

The book makes the reader aware of the issue and that there are bad people everywhere you can meet them without being aware of the traveller children and the Communities of Traveller that they don't have a voice in society so it was difficult for them to speak up, so I would recommend it to anyone. I would also recommend this book to anyone else. However, the author of this book on communities of travellers claims that these individuals struggle to integrate into society because they have moved around so frequently and haven't had time to introduce themselves. I believe this is the reason why people don't trust these individuals because they are merely an outsider in their own town in Ireland.

[Frances Coe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated, sensitive story capturing a section of a child’s life who experiences another few weeks of school by order of “the education people”. Jim
Curran is happy being him. He lives in a traveller community. Despite being told not to mix with “buffers” he finds a friend in Kit. The story contains quite harrowing moments of extreme bullying, but also very sweet, tender moments of love between family, friends and the love of a mother and child. One in particular reminder of how many things a large number of us may take for granted,
She leaned over and whispered. “If you learn a few words, could you ever pass them in to me?”
Looking forward to reading more from Siobhan Dowd.

[Robin Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siobhan writes so movingly and well, and this short story about a Traveller boy who falls in love with a non-Traveller girl (known as a Buffer) is beautifully rendered and very special. It's been given gorgeous new illustrations by Emma Shoard, and all in all this is a wonderful release that will delight Siobhan's fans old and new. 12+

*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. Please do not use it in any marketing material, online or in print, without asking permission from me first. Thank you!*

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short story padded out by watercolour art. The illustrations are colourful, lively, simple and full of movement, mostly depicting the life of a young lad and his family. The story is told from the point of view of a traveller lad who arrives in a new town.

We see the gap between travellers and settled people, and in this case the book has been presented to tell us about racism. Now, the discrimination and bullying the traveller lad suffers at school is shown as racism, but in my own experience, some kids were keen to pick on someone different. All it took for me was to have glasses. A friend tells me a boy in his school was bullied for looking effeminate. Other books show the fat kid being jeered, while cyber-bullying doesn't need a reason apart from envy.

The adults (buffers) in the seaside town don't do anything to break down barriers, nor to actually educate the boy who can't read. We see how this becomes a generational cycle. Only a chipper comes to the lad's rescue. A nice girl in school treats the lad like normal and helps him learn to read but they have to do this secretly or she'll be bullied too.

We also see that the men in the family make the decisions. But they perpetrate their own racism. They tell the kids a rubbish story about why settled folks don't like them (do you think the Romans were short of nails?), instead of saying, "Last time folk on the move came through, the locals blamed them for thefts and illegal dumping. Nothing to do with our family of course." This explanation is needed to provide a better balance in the story.

This book could be upsetting for young children and I'd like to have seen more of a good example. Maybe if the book was longer there would be room. Certainly it's a thoughtful and lively read.

I read this book from Raheny Library. This is an unbiased review.

[Katie (Kitkatscanread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this book!
I am totally honoured to have read a book by this amazing author who originally wrote A Monster Calls.
This is an interesting story about Irish gypsies and how they are treated because of history.
Two of the children start at a school and are picked on.
Jim meets a girl who sees him as normal and they develop a great friendship.
It's great to see how two children from different backgrounds get along.
The illustrations in this as well are fantastic.
A really good enjoyable read! :)

[Sarah Dawe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this story. I think one of the most valuable aspects is how it depicts preconceived notions and prejudice without education, emphasising how this impacts young people's experiences.
For such a short story, the characters were captivating. The illustrations solidified the atmosphere created by Dowd.
I absolutely loved this book and its depictions of people, their feelings, and their interactions with each other. I illuminated dynamics within traveller communities that otherwise are inaccessible to outsiders. This book epitomises the power of literature to connect people and curate understanding.

[Annalisa Luchini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Racconto illustrato che combatte i pregiudizi nei confronti dei ROM.
Un ragazzo, analfabeta, è costretto ad andare a scuola, dove fa amicizia con una ragazza, outsider per altri motivi, che gli insegna le basi della lettura e gli dona un po’ di normalità, ed è preso di mira da bulli razzisti. Per colpa loro il suo clan deve lasciare il paese.
È breve, appena abbozzato. Didascalico ma al tempo stesso poetico, ci permette di entrare in empatia con il gruppo etnico più emarginato d’Europa.

[Mairéad · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple, poignant tale with gorgeous watercolour illustrations that beautifully captures the experiences of being an outsider at secondary school. This heartfelt tribute to the travelling community would be a wonderful text to use for classroom discussions about diversity and prejudice with pupils in Upper primary/ junior secondary classes. Suitable readers aged 12+ I believe this is a must have in all school libraries and I can't wait to recommend it to my teacher colleagues.

[Sheryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A moving story on how life can be so hard that it is hard to find the 'gem moments', especially if you are a child.
I requested this book from National Library, via a search for sophisticated picture books. When I saw the authors name I had to read it. Her book, 'A small swift cry' is one of the most powerful books I have ever read.

[Tabrizia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siobhan Dowd clearly has a way with words in this poetic and beautifully written story about two teenagers from different backgrounds, forming a friendship and falling for each other, despite the racism and prejudice that is occurring in their small town. Such a relevant story that people in today's society can and should take to heart.

[erika ✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

—> 3.5 out of 5

This is a beautifully illustrated short story centred around a gypsy boy, who comes to live in a small town in Ireland.

I am going through a really rough time at the moment with exams and so I wanted something relaxing, which would help me feel all warm inside.

Mission accomplished ☑️

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deep, moving, sad, relatable, and funny. In a brief space the author creates a depth of feeling, a sense of humour and a relationship between characters that many authors struggle to generate over a course of fighters of pages.

[Jason Bootle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written story with some really lovely metaphors. Illustrations are good and add to the richness and emotional intelligence of Siobhan's characters. Didn't realise the author wrote the seeds of a Monster Calls.

[richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautifully put together, about as good as it gets for young adult reading, to my mind, and I'll be looking out for other books by the same author. The illustrations are, in a word, phenomenal. Together, nothing short of brilliant.

[Veronica Radice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un piccolo, grande libro, una breve storia che riempie il cuore e, senza bisogno di grandi parole o di "prediche", ci insegna l'arte del rispetto e la bellezza del diverso, anche grazie ai delicati acquerelli che accompagnano le parole

[Sophie Slater-Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Such an easy read with beautiful illustrations.

If you want a book about diversity this is a great read, a story of how a gypsy traveller boy is treated unfairly because of his background.

[Gaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

a sweetly told story about the travelling community. Worth picking up.

[Kitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting perspective. I didn't love the artwork.

[Rach (pagesofpiper) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful BEAUTIFUL book. I loved the illustrations and the message.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up on a whim and thought it was quite lovely.

[DCLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations. Brief story about a member of the travelling community in Ireland and some of his school experience. Worth a read.

[Austin Savill · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting insight into a small part of the life of some travellers in Ireland. It shows the conflict of trying to decide and understand who you are both in youth and with others in older age.

[Stefania · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi

[Celie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah this is MY kind of short story. I frickin' loved it! Short and sweet but gave me so much. Also really really liked the art work too.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful little book.

[Lilly Marques · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book by a wonderful author and illustrator. Thank you for transporting me through a new world. Enjoy as I have this book. Sweets ta

[F. Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

really sweet and a bit sad. Made my Irish heart feel warm.
It was a quite quick read and would recommend for people who want to read more but don't have the time.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful in so many ways, really gorgeous story and artwork, loved it.