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Review by Cate Montana
Every once in a while a book comes along that seduces you away from reading about brain chemistry and chaos theory. Plus it’s spring, and the whole world is in love with itself. Just the time to pick up a delightful bit of fiction that will enchant the spirit and warm your heart.
The Gypsy Chronicles is first and foremost a love story about love. It follows the reminiscences of Gitana, a gypsy woman and natural born matchmaker who falls in love with Tzigany de Torres, the local maker of Matrimonial Beds. Even if Tzigany did not place a potent charm for a lifetime of passionate love making (not sex mind you, but love making) on each one of his beds, his and Gitana’s marriage would have been an excellent match. But Tsigany would hardly miss the opportunity to charm his own bed. And so his life and love for Gitana is enchanted from the moment they meet.
As might be intuited from the title, the book chronicles not only Gitana’s life and love with Tzigany, but the matches of love that she makes among the local village folk. The wine maker, the flamenco dancer, the … well, I don’t want to spoil the story. As Gitana would be the first to point out, there must remain some mystery to the tale! For what is love but a mysterious prize, to be awarded to the hearts who seek it most?
A great deal of love and thought has been poured into this little book. From the words carefully chosen to weave their spell, to the illustrations and the lively photographs of the Romani people. This is the consummate bedside book. Each chapter is a tasty morsel that can be consumed with gusto, and yet leave you craving more. Who knows? Perhaps if you desire it enough, Tzigany and Gitana will reach out beyond their pages and touch your life – and bed – with the magic of true love.