Brothers of the Wind

by Thomas Bryer

A 19th century British Gypsy family fight injustice on three continents. Inspired by real people and events, set in England Romania, and Australia, Brothers Of The Wind is filled with real English Romany voices, folklore, culture, language and romance.

England 1830, the Industrial Revolution has brought prosperity for many, but hardship for Adam Stanley, the Romany horse trader and bare-knuckle boxer. The campsites that his family have enjoyed for three centuries gradually disappear and new anti-vagrancy laws have further compounded the difficulty in leading a peaceful, Gypsy life.

A horse deal goes wrong, presenting Judge Horatio Kingsley with an opportunity to make an example of Adam and his brother Charles. Charles is sentenced to death, whilst Adam is imprisoned in the notorious Portsmouth prison hulks where his warders force him into brutal, relentless fights for their profit.

Fate takes pity on Adam as Judge Kingsley's mission worker daughter fosters his sons. Her sense of equality and fairness inspires the boys to fight slavery and injustice on two continents in this sweeping, epic, heart-rending family saga.

202 pages, Paperback

First published May 13, 2018

Reviews

[JT CAREY]

My brother and I played with a gypsy boy when we lived in the New Forest (in the '60s), so when I came across the fact that the book dealt with a Romany group living in that part of the world, I was quite interested in reading it. The author doesn't delve deeply into their culture, but gives the reader enough insight into behaviors and language to enrich the storyline and provide a little history behind their tribe. The characters are developed well with some good subplots and twists that involve travels to Europe, Australia and America. The novel is short but definitely a worth while read.