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(More customer reviews)Gypsy boy Mikey Walsh is back to share in stories of his troubled teens and turbulent twenties, witness his painful experiences of first love and explore his anguish at growing up. Recalling the tears and laughter of emotional impact delivered by his previous book, it would be foolish not to accept an invitation like that.
The charismatic author of the Sunday Times Number One bestseller and international hit Gypsy Boy, has picked up the pen again to lay bare his pain, heartache and anguish during a life on the run. All sprinkled with the Mikey charm that has made him such a literary and social media phenomenon, of course.
Picking up where his previous autobiography left off, as Mikey makes his great escape from a miserable traveller's life of beatings and abuse from his gypsy king father, Gypsy Boy on the Run is out of the blocks and picking up the pace from page one.
In a full on roller-coaster ride of farcical car chases, colourful characters and over-blown episodes, Mikey takes us on his journey around northern cities in the mid 80s and early 90s as he submerges himself in the newly-discovered gay (sub)culture of the time.
But Mikey is on two journeys. On one hand he is running from a family that says he has shamed them by being gay, while on the other he is embarking on a journey of self exploration and adventure, with little appreciation of what type of circus is just around the corner.
After a re-cap in the first pages of the book, Mikey takes up his story as he makes the heartbreaking decision to take his future in his own hands. Packing his life in a bag, Mikey flees his father's tyranny in an almost comically dramatic dash north with his boyfriend and rescuer, Caleb. Pretty soon, his father and a gang of associated thugs are chasing them through the streets of Liverpool, in scenes that draw comparison to the Keystone Kops.
Almost inevitably, it doesn't turn out as Mikey would have hoped. From the moment of his escape, he has to face up to the grim reality of a life on the run, leading to bleak months that really test his mettle, his endurance and his health. At times, it seems like it could be a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire.
The harrowing changes he made to survive in this new life are shared in graphic detail: from literally changing his appearance to the heartbreak of separation from his mother and siblings, and then abuse at the hands of a man he thought loved him. One especially difficult moment and a turning point for Mikey comes when he is forced to deal with the stifling jealousy and subsequent beatings at the hands of boyfriend Caleb, who is broken by fear and violence as Mikey's family get ever close to their northern bolt hole.
Despite the humour that Mikey injects into even the most horrified moments of terror, his ordeal is clearly no better than his days in the camp. Indeed, when reading of nights spent sleeping in the boot of a car, it appears that it could be too high a price to pay for something alluding to be freedom.
Mikey loves to paint pictures of the many and varied friends that pop up along the way, although some of these thumbnail sketches are more successful than others. If there is a downside to this book, for me at least, it would be that his simplistic writing style can fail to add sufficient depth to some of the new characters, sometimes leaving them somewhat one dimensional and unrewarding. But this is a slight aside that can be easily overlooked as the non-stop drama drives the story onwards at such a pace that characters can easily blur.
Gypsy Boy on the Run is written with an honesty that encourages empathy rather than sympathy, and the openness with which these memories are recalled is matched only by the unpretentious writing style that suits the page-turning pace of the story. Rather than being a litany of worries and woe, Mikey's prose is peppered with colourful cultural references and glib asides, balancing the darkness of his episodes of violence, fear and distress.
It is said that victims often hide behind lightness and humour and that does seem to have served Mikey well as a shield against the tears and fears of the big bad world. But, while the cheeky-chappie jokes and one-liners lighten the often dark mood, the one thing that stands proud in this book even more than his debut is that Mikey is nobody's victim. He's a survivor and, despite his protestations to the contrary, he's a fighter.
One memorable moment stands out near the half-way mark in this story. Mikey has split from Caleb and is ready to stand on his own two feet as he recalls the put-downs from his father and grandfather, and the beatings he has endured from so many people over the years. But at that same moment, he lifts his chin and proclaims himself a `king of the Gypsies', realising his achievements and personal strengths to survive that long. "I was drowning in my own blood. But I knew I would get back up,' he says.
Mikey has the wide-eyed innocence of Oliver while, at times, displaying the charisma and cunning of the Artful Dodger. That charm as used in telling his shocking story helped attract celebrity support for Mikey's first book, which told of his traumatic childhood years in Gypsy camps. Here it again serves to elevate his story above so-called misery memoirs.
Mikey tells his story with such honesty and emotion, apparently lifting the veil on his life's experiences, both good and bad. His boyfriends don't come out well in this story, with Mikey suffering even more abuse, torture and exploitation at their hands. But, without giving away too much, it isn't all tears and tantrums: Mikey's life does improve and, now in his early 30s, he's living a far happier life as a primary school teacher in London.
Fans of Walsh's first book Gypsy Boy should be more than satisfied with his new read, while newcomers will revel in his compelling style that has already attracted a large and loyal fan base (much of the success was driven by online support and Mikey's Twitter account is almost legendary).
Although few readers will actually know Mikey (not his real name), by the end of both books, it would be easy to feel that more is known about his life than the lives of our closest friends. The impression is one of a young man who has discovered his strengths, battled his demons and learned to embrace his personality with courage, humour and dreams. This is the picture of a man worth knowing.
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Gypsy Boy on the RunThis is the incredible story of a boy who escaped from a secret world. Mikey is a Romany Gypsy and grew up living in a caravan on sites across the UK. He adored his family and the rich and vibrant Romany culture he'd inherited. Eventually though he was forced to make a heartbreaking decision - to stay and keep secrets, or escape and find somewhere to finally belong. But Mikey quickly discovers that life in the outside world isn't all he expected. After learning his father had put a contract out on him and that he was being hunted down by gangs of thugs determined to claim their reward, Mikey realises that life will never be the same again. Brimming with unforgettable characters, this extraordinary coming-of-age story will remind you that sometimes it takes courage (and the odd Disney song) to be the person you were meant to be.
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