Wanderers in the New Forest by Juliette De Baïracli Levy was originally published in 1958. This new edition is published by Little Toller Books in their Nature Classics series.
She was born in Manchester in 1912 and went on to become one of the first herbalists to promote holistic veterinary medicine. After studying at universities in Manchester and Liverpool she left England to study herbal medicine in Europe, Turkey, North Africa, Palestine and Greece. Living with farmers and livestock breeders to study the animals, she was specially keen to learn Romani ways of natural animal medicines in all these countries.
Wanderers in The New Forest is one of several books she published and this tells the story of her three years living with her two small children in a small basic cottage in the New Forest in Hampshire.
What an amazing women. Obviously ahead of her time!
ReplyDeleteShe lived a life that was so simple, it would be difficult to do now
DeleteI was born in the New Forest and am going back there for a wedding so this is a coincidence!! Sadly I will never be able to move back as property prices are ridiculous as most the cottages have been nought by wealthy Londoners as holiday homes :-(
ReplyDeletebought even!
DeleteThe same for many of the coastal villages here - so many second homes and holiday lets - very sad
DeleteHaving grown up in So'ton I know the Forest well and miss it. I bought my copy of this book back around the late 70s I suspect and still have it. I did have Handbook for Home and Stable too but sold that one. Have you been to the New Forest Sue? Perhaps you can have a day there with the family when you are on your way/back to/from the Isle of Wight?
ReplyDeleteShe certainly lived a very simple life - I remember her writing about when her Afghan Hound was so ill, but she managed to cure it. She made 97 too - a very full life, well-lived.
Yes, I've camped and caravanned a few times in the New Forest but don't know it well. It always seems very busy when I've been there
DeleteAbsolutely fascinating, and good to read about someone who did not live a conventional life.
ReplyDeleteA good read of a way of life that wouldn't be possible now
DeleteWhat an amazing woman , she must have been quite a character.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
A very unusual woman I think - even for the 50's
DeleteI wonder if she wrote Children of the New Forest? The children's programs on BBC used to go on and on about it. It's only through watching Atomic Shrimp on YouTube recently that I've found out anything about it!
ReplyDeleteWell now I've looked it up and see that it's quite different, earlier, based on the civil war era. You triggered a bit of learning over breakfast today, thank you!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you looked it up for todays history lesson!!
DeleteGosh, Sue, it makes me realize how spoiled I am with all my technology and appliances and groceries and conveniences. I wouldn't survive like that in the woods!
ReplyDeleteA very different way of life back then
DeleteShe was a fascinating and accomplished woman. Herbal medicine has become popular in some circles today. Many pharmaceutical drugs are made from herbs and plants. Remarkably, she was very much ahead of her time. The New Forest during her time must have been blissfully quiet among the trees and woodlands.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like the perfect book to get for my Mum's upcoming birthday. Thanks for the inspiration! Arilx
ReplyDeleteI need to get back to the Greek Islands and hunt butterflies there
ReplyDeleteJust amazing. I need to look for those books. I wonder if I can find them here in Canada.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
That sounds like a fascinating book, and one that I've not got ... yet!!
ReplyDeleteYou would like a lot of the Little Toller books I think
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