The Last Gypsy Queen, a Review by Susan

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The Last Gypsy Queen
Linda Paul
Black Rose Writing
April 16, 2026
290 pages

Goodreads/Amazon/Bookshop.org

            This is one of those books that is published by a small publishing company, where you don’t know what to expect but sometimes it hits and sometimes it misses.  This hits.  It is quiet and unassuming but one thing that tells the reader that this might be special is the cover; it is just beautiful, especially at this time of year where everything hints at summer, at least where I live.

            This is a work of historical fiction.  While it does present some rather weighty issues, the backdrop of an amusement park helps it from becoming onerous.  Actually, some of my favorite novels have taken place at amusement parks; I am not sure what that says about me but it probably means something.  This book will appeal to those that enjoy historical fiction about quietly strong women who are off the beaten track.  We have all read novels about war, whether it is before, during, or after.  This book fits squarely within that time frame, 1942, in America.  However, the emphasis is different than in many books that take place then.  We meet Marisol, a young gypsy woman who wants to be a doctor but is relegated to being a tarot reader at the amusement park.  We see how poverty and prejudice affect people, even within the context of a circus, where things are “different” than in other places.  Paul builds a strong female character that has to overcome the odds to achieve her dream.  There is also romance, which is tastefully done and fits into the overall themes of acceptance and prejudice in the community.  This novel walks the fine line between feeling like I have done something important when I read this but not being so heavy handed that it seemed like a chore.  There is also something about it that while it is clearly historical, even those readers that are not so into that genre might well enjoy it because of the character development.

            Thanks to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for an advanced copy of this digital and book.  All of the opinions herein are my own.