A study of gypsies - especially those of Eastern Europe - which is a blend
of the scholarly and the personal. While researching the book, the author
learned Romany and stayed with the gypsies, becoming deeply involved with their
lives and befriending several gypsy kings.Gypsies have always intrigued and fascinated - partly due to their their
mysterious origins and partly due to the romance of nomadism. But because they
resist assimilation, having survived as a distinct people for over 1000 years,
they have also been the victims of other people's nationalism and xenophobia.
The have been persecuted throughout the ages, including recently in German
concentration camps and by nationalist mobs in Romania.; In this study, the author focuses particularly on the gypsies of Eastern
Europe (an estimated six million) and their future as a distinct race within a
nationalist Europe. Her book is a blend of the scholarly - their origins,
folklore, customs, dietary laws, myths, taboos - and the personal. While
researching the book, Fonseca learned Romany and stayed with the gypsies,
becoming deeply involved with their lives and befriending several gypsy
kings.
