A friend of mine who lives near Perpignan and with whom I've spent day outings in Perpignan gave me this book without telling me whether or not she liked it. Even before starting to read, I was unimpressed with the jacket description that said this was "A portrait of the Gypsies of southwestern France" whereas it talks about the Gypsies of Perpignan which is in southeastern France, just a little north of where I live.

While reading the book I was alternatively interested and critical. It bothered me that the author seemed to be a groupie slumming her way through the Gypsy world of Perpignan, and it bothered me the culture she was describing -- one that I found fundamentally unattractive. And finally, it bothered me that she would explain the prejudiced attitudes of French people and then go right on and describe the gypsies she was talking about who did exactly what the prejudiced French were afraid of (or expecting).

But in the end, I found I liked the book a lot. It gives a very good description of Catalan gypsy society and culture in the southeast of France. And it has made it clear which part of Perpignan I should probably avoid on my next visit there. It has also given me a great reference for what CDs to buy in the near future. ( )