THE CADENCE OF GYPSIES - Book 1 of The F.I.G. Mysteries
ISBN #: 978-0982081280
Novel, Young Adult
PUBLISHER: Gauthier Publications
Adventure/Suspense
Excerpt:
Three
high-spirited
17
year
olds,
with
intelligence
quotients
in
the
genius
range,
accompany
their
teacher
and
mentor,
Carolina
Lovel,
to
Frascati,
Italy,
a
few
weeks
before
they
are
to
graduate
from
Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women.
Carolina's
purpose
in
planning
the
trip
is
to
remove
her
gifted,
creative
students
from
the
Wood
Rose
campus
located
in
Raleigh,
North
Carolina,
so
they
can't
cause
any
more
problems
("expressions
of
creativity")
for
the
headmaster,
faculty
and
other
students
-
which
they
do
with
regularity.
Carolina
also
wants
to
visit
the
Villa
Mondragone
where
the
Voynich
Manuscript
,
the
most
mysterious
document
in
the
world,
was
first
discovered,
and
also
search
how
it
is
related
to
a
paper
written
in
the
same
script
she
received
on
her
18th
birthday
when
she
was
told
that
she
was
adopted
-
a
search
that
will
fill
in
all
the
missing
pieces
of
her
past
and
help
each
of
her
students
to
discover something meaningful within themselves.
Bravo! What a lovely and enthralling book! Not only is it entertaining but also quite educational! A truly great work!
Dr. John Monaco, MD
Co-Author, Too Small to be Big
I
am
not
a
YA
(Young
Adult),
but
I
came
across
The
Cadence
of
Gypsies
through
my
granddaughter
who
seemed
to
be
glued
to
it
until
she
finished
reading
it.
When
I
asked
her
what
it
was
all
about
she
said,
"Grandpa
you
can
read
it
too."
Not
one
to
pass
up
a
book, I started reading it, and reading it, and reading it... Never wanted to put it down!
I
read
the
whole
thing
in
one
seating
stopping
only
for
lunch
and
dinner.
This
is
the
most
mesmerizing
book
that
has
come
my
way
in
a
long
time.
The
story
line,
the
mysteries,
the
characters
all
transported
me
to
an
orphanage
school
in
North
Carolina
and
a little village in Italy, places where this wonderful and human story develops... A must read for any age...
ALJFER
Blog Commenter in http://yabookloverblog.blogspot.com/
The
Cadence
of
Gypsies
was
written
for
young
adults.
However,
this
old
adult
loved
it.
To
me,
the
book
has
rhyme
and
cadence
like
a
song
being
interwoven,
its
parts
coming
from
seemingly
unintended
attributes.
Yes,
a
Deceptive
cadence
which
does
not
resolve
itself
until
the
end.
Or
perhaps
the
analogy
would
be
Scrabble.
Author
Barbara
Casey
has
truly
fitted
parts
in
a
way
that
challenge
the
reader.
Plus
she
uses
her
writing
skill
to
entice
and
elicit
inquiry
and
research.
"Why?"
you
question
as
you
hurry
to
turn
the
page
only
to
be
presented
with
another
"Why?"
Little
by
little,
the
parts
fit.
The
diagram
takes
shape.
While
all
the
intrigue
is
going
on,
the
reader
is
loving
(or
loathing)
the
characters,
sympathizing,
recognizing,
or
qualifying
each
person
as
he
and
she
is
presented.
To
the
delight
of
this
reader,
in
addition
to
the
construction,
this
wonderful
book
incorporates
places,
names
and
facts.
The
Voynich
Manuscript
is
real.
The
famous
vineyards
and
territory
of
Frascati
and
the
historic
Villa
Mondragone
are
beautifully
and
well
depicted.
The
story
evolves
while
being
nourished
by
historical
and
relevant
data
including
musical,
mathematical,
and
artistic
references thanks to the three FIGS (females of intellectual genius).
Yes,
The
Cadence
of
Gypsies
is
a
book
to
share
with
all
members
of
the
family
and
one
to
add
to
the
Classics
in
our
libraries.
Thank you, Barbara Casey.
Patricia Daly-Lipe
Author, Myth, Magic and Metaphor, Nature’s Wisdom and La Jolla: A Celebration of Its Past
President of the National League of American Pen Women, Washington, DC.
Carolina
was
taken
from
her
gypsy
mother
at
a
young
age
and
sent
to
American
where
she
was
adopted.
At
eighteen
her
adoptive
parents
give
her
a
box.
Inside
this
box
Carolina
discovers
the
truth
about
her
birth,
that
she
was
adopted,
and
with
help
from
her
boyfriend,
they
begin
research
in
finding
out
who
Carolina
really
is.
With
the
odd
items
in
the
box,
she
finds
an
old
paper
w/
script
that matches an ancient manuscript that scholars can't even decipher.
After
graduating
college,
Carolina
takes
a
job
at
a
girl's
academy
for
orphaned
children.
There
she
in
put
in
charge
of
three
gifted
girls
that
are
more
of
a
detriment
than
a
blessing
to
the
school.
When
the
girls
play
a
prank
that
goes
to
far,
Carolina
offers
to
take
the
girls
with
her
on
a
trip
to
Italy.
There
Carolina
will
begin
her
search
for
her
birth
family.
To
her
pleasant
surprise
the
girls
are
able to pull their gifts together in assisting their mentor.
Lyuba
has
never
gotten
over
the
fact
that
her
small
child
was
taken
from
her
and
sent
off
to
America
to
be
adopted.
Day
after
day
she
lives
alone
as
a
widowed
gypsy
and
collects
herbs
to
make
remedies
that
she
sells
to
the
public.
Being
very
talented,
she
also
has
other
gifts.
In
the
band
of
gypsies
she
travels
with,
she
also
teaches
the
children
these
special
gifts.
But
there
is
one
child who uses the knowledge he has been taught to harm those around him.
This
book
is
full
of
twist
that
keeps
you
turning
pages.
I
thought
it
clever
how
everyone
played
an
important
role
in
each
others
lives. A fun and enjoyable read!
Carrie Filetti "littlebrownbird"
Reader (Amazon)
Reviews:
Barbara
Casey’s
richly
crafted
novel,
The
Cadence
of
Gypsies,
moves
with
ease
between
an
orphanage-school
in
North
Carolina
and
an
old
catholic
church
villa
and
a
gypsy
camp
south
of
Rome.
Three
senior
girls
from
the
school
assist
the
novel’s
central
figure,
the
gifted
young
teacher
Carolina,
in
untangling
the
fascinating
but
mysterious
background
of
her
own
hitherto
unknown
family.
Casey’s
fast-moving
narrative
peeps
into
the
sometimes
enchanting,
sometimes
dark
world
of
gypsy
lore
of
herbs,
blessings,
and
curses.
Narrative
and
colourful
personalities
are
woven
together
skilfully,
providing
an
excellent
read,
an
emotionally and intellectually stimulating story of romance, discovery, and reunion.
David Aikman
Award-winning print and broadcast journalist, best-selling author, and foreign affairs commentator
Amazon has added THE CADENCE OF GYPSIES to its list of “Best Books of 2013 So Far”
Reviewed by the Smithsonian for its 2011 List of Most Notable Books
IPPY 2013 Living Now Award
The
Cadence
of
Gypsies
by
Barbara
Casey
is
a
story
of
intrigue
that
unravels
slowly
when
Carolina
Lovel
finds
out
that
she
is
adopted.
She
learns
this
at
the
age
of
eighteen
when
her
adoptive
parents
give
her
a
box.
Inside
she
finds
a
letter
written
by
her
mother
in
some
unknown
language.
Carolina
decides
to
find
out
more
about
her
past
and
she
travels
to
Italy
to
do
just
that.
She
also
takes
three
girls
from
the
orphanage
where
she
is
working
with
her
on
the
trip.
The
journey
sees
them
traveling
into
the
mysterious world of gypsies and their traditions. These three girls also prove to be helpful to Caroline on the trip.
The
plot
has
many
twists
and
turns
that
make
it
a
compelling
as
well
as
a
captivating
read.
The
story
has
been
developed
cleverly
and
all
the
characters
complement
each
other
beautifully.
The
gypsies
provide
an
element
of
mystery,
magic
and
enchantment
to
the
story.
Carolina's
love
interest
also
plays
an
important
role.
The
story
has
many
colorful
characters
whose
histories
are
woven
into
each
other
with
a
subtle
cadence
and
rhythm
that
makes
it
an
interesting
read.
The
old
Catholic
Church,
the
orphanage
school
in
North
Carolina
and
the
gypsy
camp
near
Rome
are
all
fascinating
subjects.
The
ancient
manuscript
which
Carolina
gets
from
the
box
is
equally
mysterious
and
makes
the
story
intriguing.
I
would
recommend
this
book
because
it
interesting,
colorful
and clever.
Reviewed by: Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite
Honorable Mention for
Young Adult Mystery in the
Readers’ Favorite Award
***** 5 stars
By Carla on April 26, 2016
An
intense
and
mysterious
story
of
a
young
gifted
woman
who
sees
so
much
of
herself
in
the
young,
talented
but
often
misunderstood
FIGs.
It
is
with
the
help
of
these
young
girls,
that
Carolina
sets
out
on
a
trip
to
discover
her
past,
her
story
and
in
turn
her
future.
Each
FIG
has
been
blessed
with
a
special
skill
that
is
essential
to
uncovering
Carolina's
past
but
it
is
Carolina's
love
for
them
which
helps
give
guide
and
motivate
them to help her.
We
have
this
tied
into
the
mystical
and
misunderstood
world
of
gypsies
and
their
traditions
that
really
takes
this
novel
to
a
new
level.
Carolina's
Mom
is
a
powerful
yet
gentle
and
kind
woman
who
would
do
anything
for
her
daughter.
Each
one
of
the
characters
in
this
story
you
feel
as
though you get to know them intimately and the way their lives and paths cross is amazing.
I
loved
the
history
in
this
novel,
the
look
into
the
gypsy
culture
from
a
place
of
understanding
and
appreciation,
as
well
as
the
wrong
fear
that
many
had
of
gypsy
cultures.
The
story
itself
was
very
unique
in
the
way
it
was
told,
it
was
just
not
a
simple
adopted
young
girl
searching
for
her
birth
mother,
instead
it
was
layers
of
history
and
storytelling
of
lives
that
brings
the
story
to
life.
The
Cadence
of
Gypsies
is
a
truly
unique
and
special story that you will love over and over.
***** 5 stars
By Dhivya Balaji / Readers Muse on May 21, 2016
REVIEW:
Kud ce vjestica do u svoj rod?
(Where should a gypsy go if not to her kin?)
From
this
quote
on
the
very
first
page
before
the
prologue,
the
book
drew
me
in.
A
woman's
search
for
her
biological
parent
is
bringing
her
back
home
-
something
that
is
true
to
all
cultures.
The
book
showed
an
eerie
familiarity
with
me
in
the
way
it
ended
the
first
chapter
-
all
was
as
it should be - something in those words rang a bell, and signalled that I was in for some more magic!
On
one
hand,
we
have
Carolina,
a
teacher
who
learnt
that
she
had
been
adopted
as
a
baby.
She
learns
this
life
changing
secret
at
18,
and
as
is
sort
of
a
norm
in
YA
novels,
she
is
made
aware
of
this
fact
by
a
letter
in
an
indecipherable
language.
Determined
to
go
in
search
of
her
biological
parents,
Carolina
is
waiting
for
a
chance.
On
the
other
end
there
are
three
girls,
on
the
brink
of
their
graduation,
having
a
lot
of
time
and energy in their hands - at least enough to pull pranks on those around them.
Carolina
finds
a
job
at
a
school
for
gifted
children.
She
watches
the
acutely
intelligent
girls'
pranks
going
overboard
and
decides
to
take
the
girls
on
an
adventure,
hoping
that
their
superior
intelligence
and
capabilities
would
help
her
on
her
quest
to
find
her
biological
parents.
The
story
takes
us
on
a
beautiful
journey
from
then
on,
full
of
secrets,
history
and
folklore,
with
the
twists
coming
one
after
another.
The
book
is
a
page
turner,
having
no
real
slackening
moments.
The
characters
are
well
developed,
many
of
them
etched
in
my
memory
for
some
time
to
come. The book ended sooner than I would have liked it to, and that is saying something!
I
guess
I
expected
a
YA
story
to
be
targetted
at
that
age
group
of
audience.
But
The
Cadence
of
Gypsies
surprised
me,
and
made
me
thankful,
yet
again,
that
I
don't
choose
books
based
on
their
target
audience
alone.
This
book
will
delight
young
and
old
readers
alike.
I
liked
many
things
about
the
story.
Be
it
the
young
and
enthusiastic
gifted
teenage
girls
who
realise
the
importance
of
pulling
their
gifts
together
to
help
their
teacher,
or
the
young
Carolina
and
her
search
for
her
biological
parents,
or
the
resilient
aged
gypsy
woman
who
does
not
let
the
sadness
of
losing
her
child
to
adoption
affect
her
purpose
of
life
but
still
yearns
and
aches
for
her
-
every
character
is
strong,
well
developed
and
touches the reader's heart. And the symbiotic way in which they all help each other somehow makes the book an even more engaging read.
I
loved
how
the
book
traversed
from
North
Carolina
to
the
sleepy
yet
happening
Italian
village
and
how
her
description
of
Gypsies
and
their
folklore
seemed
so
detailed
and
enticing.
I
have
not
read
a
detailed
book
on
this
culture
before,
and
I
am
glad
I
started
with
this
book
because
it somehow made me love the culture - and that is the power of the story, and Ms. Casey's words! Would definitely read more books by her.
When
a
book
makes
you
want
to
read
more
works
of
the
author
and
about
the
culture
she
has
based
the
book
on,
you
know
that
book
has
enthralled you!
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