Bookshelf: Pleasure Seekers and Secret Keepers

Gypsy Boy: My Life in the Secret World of the Romany Gypsies by Mikey Walsh
Ever wonder what it’s like growing up gay in England’s Romany Gypsy community? Mikey Walsh’s Gypsy Boy tells the poignant story of a boy living in an unusual and secretive environment of shoplifting, boxing, and virtual illiteracy, a boy who desperately wants to please his abusive father but all the while grapples with his own clandestine issues. This extraordinary memoir about resilience and the human spirit is a rare glimpse into a world few of us can imagine. (St. Martin’s Press, $25) — Winston Gieseke