The Gypsy Crown

VOYA - Beth Karpas

Set at the end of Cromwell's rule in England, Forsyth's first historical fiction is also her first young adult novel. Fans of her previous books will not be disappointed in her market shift, and this book is certain to win her new fans. Thirteen-year-old Rom or gypsy cousins Amilia and Luka travel with their extended family to a town fair in hopes of raising cash for Amilia's sister's dowry. Instead their entire family is imprisoned, and the cousins, along with the family menagerie of a horse, a dog, a bear, and a monkey, are sent on a quest to seek magical and practical help from the four other gypsy families of England. Neither Amilia nor Luka are quite sure how much of their story is real and how much is magic, and the reader can enjoy this book either way. The cousins are likeable, and if the reader sometimes forgets that they are only thirteen, it can be forgiven because of their remarkable resourcefulness and self possession. Although fans of fantasy will instantly guess that the children will need to use each of their few possessions, no matter how strange, to achieve their goal, the plot pulls them along despite its predictability. Woven into an accurate picture of mid-seventeeth-century England, this book is perfect for a rainy afternoon. As an added bonus, a detailed afterward separates fact from fiction. Reviewer: Beth Karpas

Children's Literature - Danielle Williams

Gypsies have been hit especially hard in the years since Cromwell took over the rule of England. They are forced to live on the fringes of society, and they must avoid towns whenever possible. But market days offer numerous opportunities, and Emilia's family decides to take a chance. They go into Kingston-upon-Thames in the hopes of making a little money. They actually manage to make some by entertaining the townsfolk with their singing and dancing, but they quickly run into trouble when the local minister takes umbrage at the location of their entertainment: in front of the church. While the rest of their family members are imprisoned, Emilia and Luka embark on a journey across England to search for their extended Gypsy family and the lucky charms that will help them rescue their loved ones from prison. Chased by Coldham the Thief Taker, Luka and Emilia face dangers at every turn, but they are eventually successful in finding their kin and collecting the lucky charms they feel they need to rescue their family. Steeped in historical detail—including several unlikely encounters with major historical figures—this book should appeal to children who are interested in history. Reviewer: Danielle Williams

Kirkus Reviews

A Gypsy family in Cromwell's England shrugs off old Maggie Finch's gloomy warnings and heads to the fair to make some money entertaining the crowds. When the contemptuous local pastor and Cromwell's villainous agent Coldham confront this "tribe of infidels," mayhem erupts, and most of the hapless Finches get tossed in jail. Thirteen-year-old Emilia and her cousin Luka escape to get help, and so begins their suspenseful, 20-day race with time against the day the magistrates will hang their loved ones. Emilia, who has "the eye" like her fortunetelling baba, is charged with reuniting five charms from five widely dispersed Gypsy families to form a magic chain powerful enough to save the day. Trudging through the spy-ridden countryside with Coldham on their heels, the two heroes (and their horse, dog, bear and monkey companions) bravely persevere. While the historical context seems occasionally overexplained and the actual plot occasionally underexplained, this fast-paced adventure, published in Australia as a six-book series called the Chain of Charms, is a multifaceted tale told with zeal and heart. (historical note) (Fiction. 12-14)