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Published Feb 2012
288 pages
Genre: Biography/Memoir
Publication Information
Mikey Walsh was born into a Romany Gypsy family. They live in a secluded community, and little is known about their way of life. After centuries of persecution, Gypsies are wary of outsiders, and if you choose to leave you can never come back.
This is something Mikey knows only too well.
Growing up, he didn't go to school, he seldom mixed with non-Gypsies, and the caravan became his world. It was a rich and unusual upbringing, but although Mikey inherited a vibrant and loyal culture his family's legacy was bittersweet, with a hidden history of violence and grief. Eventually Mikey was forced to make an agonizing decision - to stay and keep secrets, or escape and find somewhere to belong.
Gypsy Boy shows, for the first time, what life is really like among the Romany Gypsies. A surprise #1 bestseller in Great Britain, this is a one-of-a-kind memoir of a little-seen world, one both fascinating and heartbreaking.
"Mikey Walsh provides an unsentimental and compelling look at the louche and brutal culture of Romany Gypsies in the U.K." - Publishers Weekly
"Starred Review. A gripping and heartfelt page-turner." - Booklist
"A poignant memoir that bears comparison to the bestselling Running With Scissors - but better written and far darker." - Kirkus Reviews
"This is a wonderfully readable tale of love, abuse and eventual escape - all lived in the heart of an English gypsy family. The father is one of the most frightening figures I've encountered in years." - Edmund White, author of A Boy's Own Story
"Reading Gypsy Boy, I felt invited into a secret society. I've always found Gypsies mysterious and even slightly dangerous, and Mikey Walsh does an excellent job describing the cloistered lifestyle and fascinating traditions of the Romani people. Moreover, Mikey's personal story of being a misfit among misfits is both compelling and universal. I cheered for him every step of the way." - Julia Scheeres, author of Jesus Land
"A revelation. Moving, terrifying, funny and brilliant. I shall never forget it - an amazing achievement." - Stephen Fry
"Touching, insightful, funny and incredibly shocking." - HEAT
"Best memoir since Running with Scissors." - Attitude
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