A sweeping novel of courage, sacrifice, and love set as America enters World War II in this enthralling work of historical fiction that keeps the reader turning pages.

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The year is 1942, and America is drawn into the war and a world filled with oppression and prejudice. Widowed, desperate, and penniless, Marisol, a young Romani Gypsy woman, is forced to read tarot cards at a popular Ohio lakeside amusement park, instead of learning to read and become the doctor her grandfather encouraged her to be.

 

Along the shores where big bands come to play, thousands of wartime-weary visitors long for an escape. There, Marisol is drawn into a forbidden romance with Will, who has signed up for the draft to become a pilot, against his wealthy railroad tycoon father’s wishes. In a secret room beneath the Crystal Ballroom, where she keeps forbidden books and mentors Marisol to read and apply to a charity medical program, the park manager’s wife Lila grieves the loss of her child.

 

When the prejudiced park company’s man cuts safety corners and sabotages and accuses the Romanies of stealing to eradicate them from the park, Marisol is faced with defending her family’s honor and livelihood. When the dangers of fate lurk in the shadows and as the final weekend draws near, Marisol must choose between loyalty to them and her heritage or abandoning her dreams.

 

Now ninety years old and telling her story at last, Marisol recalls how the events of that summer and the decisions she made forever altered her life.

 

With Paul’s rich period detail and cast of heartfelt characters, The Last Gypsy Queen offers a look back into the challenges of life governed by prejudice while finding the courage to accept more than the status quo. 

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