How can you go on when the world gives you terrible circumstances year after year? Reading Eliska’s story my heart broke, when I just hoped so bad for there to be a happy ending to be on the last page.

I have given this book three stars even though I didn’t finish it. I liked the writing but i found it extremely difficult to read,m at another time I might be able to spend more time with the book because it was certainly interesting and made you think about what was happening on a daily basis all around the world.

It is generally well known throughout society that the Romany gyspy population are some of the most maligned and discriminated against groups in history for the alternative and largely misunderstood ways in which they live. Usually, but not always, characterised by the habit of being transient and rarely staying in a single place for too long. TV shows such as My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding have given glimpses into the mainstream gypsy lifestyle, customs and long-held traditions and have lifted the veil on a people so often misinterpreted. Eliska Tanzer was born into the Indo-Aryan ethnic group but her experiences were shocking and so far removed from the glamourous portrayal of another group of British gypsies on television. From birth, her life was full of adversity and hardship and absent from it were all the necessities we take for granted. You could say that she survived rather than lived.

Sadly, some of the persecution she felt was not just from those outside the community but the experiences she has had at the hands of her family members and this made it quite an upsetting read. Hers was a rich, intense, varied and eventful life and this happens to be one of the best and most insightful, raw and brutally honest memoirs I've ever had the pleasure to pick up. It is a fascinating and utterly captivating and eminently compulsive non-fiction book and one which reads like the most gripping fiction feast. I surprised myself by racing through this and had real trouble putting it down as it feels authentic with an intense atmosphere to it and Eliska has a sincerity to her voice/narrative that makes her endearing and intriguing as a human being. I felt incredibly sad for the harrowing things she has been through and only hope her life gets better.

Highly recommended to those who enjoy reading about alternative ways of living and the trials and tribulations of being derived from nomadic stock. It really inspires that despite the awful situations Eliska found herself in she has gone on to thrive. ”It’s not the journey that defines you, it's the dream that guides you.” Many thanks to Mirror Books for an ARC.

I was granted an e-ARC of The Girl From Nowhere by Eliska Tanszer by the publisher Mirror Books on NetGalley to provide a fair and honest review.

4.5/5 stars
Read 1/23/20 to 1/31/20

This was one of the first books I choose from NetGalley, and I chose it because the cover seemed interesting. As the deadline approached, I sort of lost interest. Part of it was how obscure it is; this is a book that isn’t even being published in North America (based on the available information). However, I said I would review it, so I made a point to at least try. I am beyond happy that I did. I loved pretty much everything about this book.

I could tell within the first 10 pages that I loved her writing. It is dark and vulgar, and it really encapsulated the ton and setting of the story she was telling (it also seems like just normal conversation). The hardest part of a book is ensuring it can pull me in. If that doesn’t happen, I will have a very hard time focusing and retaining information. Tanszer’s writing pulls me in an enjoying and engaging manner. Now, I won’t pretend it is easy to read.

There are parts where I cringed at how Tanszer would minimize or explain away the terrible things her parents did to her. In the end, I got the impression she was articulating her feelings at the time because by the end of the story we have a very good picture of her relationship with them. I really appreciated how she articulated the complexities of her relationship with her family. It is so toxic, but she seems to always hold out hope that they truly care.

Her story is inspiring because it is one of persistence. What’s more, she recognizes her way to a better life is by learning. Learning and proving she is more than so many people would have her be. That was a feeling I could relate to. I don’t mean to suggest people think little of me or that my life is the same as hers, but my love of learning is, in a way, me trying to move up the societal ladder. I really connected to and enjoyed that aspect of the story. I recommend this memoir. 4.5/5 stars

Rating Break Down
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 10/10
Structure: 10/10
Summary: 10/10
Engagement: 10/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Comprehension: 9/10
Pacing: 9/10
Desire to Reread: 0/10
Special: 7/10
Final Rating: 4.405/5
Note, each rating is weighted based on personal importance (see blog for more details).