Synopses & Reviews
A thousand years ago, a group of people who later became the Romani were driven out of northern India by an invading army. This group then took to traveling the world, adopting words, cultural customs, and religious beliefs from the people they encountered. Romani authors Hristo Kyuchukov and Ian Hancock explain why Gypsy is a scornful name and why they prefer to be called Romanies.
Review
"There's useful information here - many young people will be unaware of the existence of contemporary Romanies, let alone their practices and beliefs - and the book gains intimacy from the author's self-identification and frequent use of the first-person plural ('Some of us have become well known as influential jazz musicians')." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Review
"Will help dispel stereotypes, introduce the tragic history of persecution (including the Holocaust), and, perhaps, move children to seek out more. The authors' wrenching personal notes begin the book, and maps showing the distribution of Romani populations around the world close it." --Booklist
About the Author
Hristo Kyuchukov is a leading figure in the advancement of human rights for Romani children. He teaches at the University of Veliko, Tarnovo, and lives in Sophia, Bulgaria. He is also the author of My Name Was Hussein.
Ian Hancock is director of The Romani Archives and Documentation Center at the University of Texas at Austin. He was Ambassador for the Romani people to the United Nations, and in 1998 was appointed by President Clinton as the sole Romani member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.