The Diddakoi

Product Information

Kizzy is a diddakoi, a half-gypsy. The other children taunt her and make her time at school miserable. But at home in their wagon with Gran and her horse, Joe, she is happy. But then Gran dies and her life is turned upside down. Their wagon is burned down and Kizzy is all alone. But in fact it is not only Kizzy's life that is turned upside down from this moment on.

More than 1,000 Romanian Roma live in just one of the many camps that lie on the outskirts of Madrid. Madonna paused during her two-hour show to say: “It has been brought to my attention, that there is a lot of discrimination against Romanies and Gypsies in general in Eastern Europe– it made me feel very sad. We don’t believe in discrimination, we believe in freedom and equal rights for everyone.” In the course of events, Kizzy’s guardian Gran dies and her gypsy caravan home is burnt down (in accordance with gypsy custom). She goes to the local school and is taunted and bullied. When the time comes Kizzy can't live with Gran anymore some disreputable family members come to take her.

Add a reference to the book and the movie USING THE MLA FORMAT (i.e. exactly the same as in the Guidebook).

There are a few things that haven't aged well in this book. Physical violence to children from adults is commonplace and the despite the actions of many of the children to Kizzy, she is told she needs to be friends with them, invite them to her house. After such violent treatment I would never insist a seven year old invite the perpetrators to her home. It all ends well though and shows a realistic portrayal of the travelling community, the book shows that some are good and honest and some are not, just like any other group of human beings. Kizzy's themes include comments on the care system, tradition versus modernity, middle class snobbery (mostly from society busybody Mrs Cuthbert, Angela Browne's hairstyle and performance perhaps owing something to the then-Leader of the Opposition Margaret Thatcher?) and above all tolerance for - and indeed celebration of - difference and cultural diversity. A Town Explores A Book originated in 2017 when ExploreTheArch Theatre Company joined creative businesses and community organisations in St Leonards-on-Sea to develop a festival led by readers which provided a platform for voices not usually heard in similar events. Madonna has said she was “compelled” to comment on the discrimination against Romany Gypsies while on stage in Romania, despite being booed by fans. The 51-year-old was jeered by the audience in Bucharest after saying the discrimination “made me feel very sad”. .. Marcio da Silva and the Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir perform Beethoven’s Missa SolemnisAccording to this BBC article, Madonna, the American pop star, made comments in support of Gypsies and against the discrimination they face during a concert in Bucharest in Romania, although she was booed by the fans for her comments. Madonna explains Gypsy comments. After reading it, I have always grown fond of characters and have come out enriched and with warm heart. I first read this book when I was 9 or so and its memory has never left my mind. liked Kizzy, the little Diddakoi (Traveller) girl perhaps because I could subconsciously relate to some of her struggles, especially those of perceived foreignness when one is the only dark-skinned kid in the class. Now that I'm reading this book again as an adult, with all the experience I have regarding culture and such, I am quite amazed that this book which is a kids book would have so much social commentary, also it's now as an adult that I can understand the initial appeal the book held for me. Funny how that works. The social commentary in this book is great and I liked the way Godden introduced a different culture in her book. She shows that not much has changed since the 70s (when this book was written): there are still the ignorant people who don't understand that there are different ways of being, and there are also the people who realize that different doesn't have to mean bad.