Once there was a gypsy queen who wore on her wrist a chain of five lucky charms ? a golden crown, a silver horse, a butterfly caught in amber, a bolt of lightning forged from the heart of a falling star, and the flower of the rue plant, herb of grace. The queen gave each of her five children one of the charms as their lucky talisman, but ever since the chain of charms was broken, the gypsies have been dogged with misfortune. It is even worse for the Finch tribe ? they have been thrown into jail with only three weeks to live. The only members of the family to escape are thirteen-yearold Emilia and her cousin Luka, who have been entrusted to find the charms and bring them together again. What Emilia and Luka do not realize is that there is a price to be paid for each lucky charm, and that the cost may prove too high. Set in 17th century England, Kate Forsyth's The Gypsy Crown offers an enticing mix of historical fact and the myth behind gypsy life.