Anyone familiar with Channel 4's `Big Fat Gypsy Weddings' will be familiar with Thelma Madine: dressmaker of choice to the gypsy community, some of whom travel hundreds of miles to have bespoke dresses handmade, each one more and more outrageous than its predecessor and with prices that just cannot be discussed on television. Thelma has the ear of the travelling community and in turn is trusted to keep their secrets, but this book alludes in a little bit of detail some of the more special wedding dresses that she has designed, as well as trials and tribulations of her own life.

I am a big fan of the programme and fascinated by the lifestyle portrayed of the Irish travellers depicted, as well as some of the controversy regularly stirred up regarding the representations of gypsy life, so this book was a must read for me. It pulled me in straight away. Thelma writes almost as if she is sitting down and having a chat with you over a cup of tea, so her affable, likeable manner comes through vividly. It is clear from the start that given events in her own life that she feels some sort of empathy for the way travellers are treated and as a consequence is never judgemental- neither mocking them or even the most outlandish requests for dresses.

The book details how Thelma got into dressmaking and the highs and lows of being a dressmaker for the traveller community- it is full of entertaining little anecdotes as well as recapping points when she genuinely did hit rock bottom, before picking herself up and becoming the businesswoman she is today. I'd liked her a lot on the programme, but after reading this I genuinely have a great deal of respect for her.

My opinion after reading this book is that it is a true riches to rags then back to riches story. Thelma has been through a lot in her life but she is a grafter and deserves her success of today. She comes across as a warm and bubbly woman and a staunch defender of the traveller community so I am not surprised she is so favoured by them.

My only criticism of this book would be that I did feel it was a bit `glossed over' in places and I would have perhaps liked to have learned a bit more detail of some of the tougher parts of Thelma's life- the tough times with her ex husband and more of how she coped with being imprisoned. Of course, this doesn't add to the `fairytale' quality of the rest of the book, so I can understand why it was dealt with fairly swiftly and then moved back onto the happier aspects. Oh- and a few more pictures as well- I would have liked to see more of Thelma and her family included, not just the dresses.

If you enjoy `Big Fat Gypsy Weddings' and would like to learn more about the woman behind those amazing dresses and a bit more about the Irish traveller lifestyle, then this is the book for you- it's an excellent escapist read.

*This review also appears on Amazon.co.uk* ( )