Red Rowans and Wild Honey

by Betsy Whyte

The sequel to the perennially popular Yellow on the Broom, Red Rowans and Wild Honey follows Betsy’s story to the end of the Second World War. She recounts in vivid detail the heady years of her adolescence, her courtship and her mother’s struggle to bring up four children in the only way a Travelling woman hawking wares, fruit picking, tatty howking – in fact any kind of work that would provide the next meal.

This edition also contains another substantial piece of autobiography, which remained incomplete at the time of her death and which appears in print here for the first time.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

223 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1990

About the author

Betsy Whyte was born into a traveller family in 1919 and brought up in the age-old tradition of the ‘mist people’ – constantly moving around the country and settling down in one place only during the winter. It was while the family were ‘housed up’ at this time of year that she received her education, attending a number of village schools before winning a scholarship to Brechin High school, where she was the only traveller child. She gave up the traveller life when she married in 1939 and started writing about her childhood in the 1970s.

In 1988 she suffered a fatal heart attack during the weekend of a traditional ceilidh.

Reviews

[Stephanie Curran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! This book is a must read! It is a memoir of a Scottish traveller. It is a life story; but it is also the story of a way of life that is nearly extinct. The spiritual reflections are very poignant and insightful.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books (you need to read this book with the first volume of Betsy Whyte's memoirs, 'the yellow on the broom')are such a fantastic peice of nostalgia, a record of a way of life no longer existing here. I found Betsy's story fascinating, touching and humorous, a great read. This is a different view of what a traveller really is - and this is about as far from 'my big fat gypsy wedding' as you could get.

If you enjoyed Alison Uttley's book 'a year in the country' - you will enjoy this also.

[Elizabeth]

Not quite as masterful as her The Yellow on the Broom, but fascinating nevertheless. (And to be fair, her death prevented her involvement in the editorial process). This book continues Whyte's autobiographical story of life as a Scottish Traveller in the 1930s and 1940s (I was particularly interested in the all-too-brief view of how World War II influenced the Traveller population in particular and Scotland in general!). Lots of wonderful detail and personal anecdotes.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first book in Betsy's autobiographies some years ago, at the recommendation of an old boss. It did not disappoint.
Telling the life of a young traveller girl in 1920s Scotland it depicted a world now long gone.
So, imagine my surprise to see this second book in a charity shop. I had no idea she'd continued her tale. Red Rowans and Wild Honey picks up the narrative into the 1930s and 49s, as life becomes even harder - war, death and advancing machinery change the travelling community's world completely.
Told through dialect and with a keen observation for detail and people, this is a glimpse into a way of life, and world long gone, but, which offers some suggestions of what we are missing, and could strive to aim for in the future.

[Rowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting, insightful, and humorous memoir of a woman in the Scottish travelling community, the story is so entertaining and easy to read. It really captures the time, just before and into WWII, with a sense of nostalgia and gives you pause for thought on how much has changed so quickly. A real window into the recent past, and from an often overlooked perspective. A must-read for anyone from or interested in Perthshire and Aberdeenshire, lots of Scots language and little cultural references.

[Tracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book concerning the Travelers of Scotland and their way of life. This is the second of the series and I read the first, The Yellow on The Broom as well. I found them both delightful, with very colorful characters.
I learned a good bit of cultural history.

[Yvonne Moxon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this 2nd book , so sad that Betsy was unable to write the 3rd book.....we will never know 😢

[penelopewanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just arrived, possibly to use with my class.

Sequel... in some ways more moving than the first part. Basically this is posthumous, Betsy never actually finished this. A shame, but a fascinating read nonetheless.

[Alison Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apre-war (1930's) account of life as a traveller/tinker, in Scotland. Fascinating glimpse of a way of life that is all but gone in the 21st century. Shines with a love of the outdoors and freedom to come and go at will.

[Mark Hornsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully evocative portrait of an extended traveller family in 1930s/40s Scotland.

[Tammy Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful sequel. I enjoyed her honest observations of WWII life and am sad to know she was not able to finish her memoirs.

[Holly Kipling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found myself very taken by the travellers way of life and wistful for the ease with which they were able to move about and work.
Lovely read.