William Blacker is ahead of his time. When curiosity took him to NE Romania in the late 1990s he immediately recognised that the old way of life practised in the Transylvanian villages was under threat. William wanted to experience the lifestyle at first hand & stayed with a local peasant & his wife for 4 years as rheir adopted son, working as hard as the local people did, relying on horse-drawn transport & handmade tools; even choosing to wear their clothes which were handmade & sewn or woven at home! After his return to England, Prince Charles met & befriended William Blacker & they have remained good friends. Incidentally, the Prince owns two properties in the Saxon Villages & Sibiu has now attained World Heritage status. The book is well written & carefully chosen photographs illustrate many interesting features of an almost extinct culture within Europe. It's a fascinating account made all the more enjoyable by William's encounter with a tempestuous gypsy girl & her vagabond connections. There's no fairy-tale ending but I did notice that Valentin, William's 10 year old son was warmly embraced by Prince Charles during a royal visit to Romania earlier this year... Jane Skinner April 2017.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
An enchanting look at a way of life in our time but which I fear, has changed recently.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Gives a sincere and heartfelt insight by an Englishman ( William Blacker) into the lives and traditions of the people from the rural area of Marumares in Romania who he lived amongst, from 1996 onwards.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best-selling in Books
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on Books