Lavengro : $b The Scholar; The Gypsy; The Priest, Vol. 1 (of 2)

"Lavengro: The Scholar; The Gypsy; The Priest, Vol. 1 (of 2)" by George Borrow is a mix of real life and imagination from the 1800s. It's all about finding yourself, understanding different cultures, and what it means to be human, through the author's interactions with people like gypsies and religious leaders. The story starts with the author's early years and his strong interest in the Romany culture, questioning what society expects and what he truly believes. We learn about his birth in East Anglia and meet his parents: his father, a soldier from Cornwall, and his mother, a French Protestant. He remembers feeling different from his brother, who was handsome and clever, while he felt more serious and took longer to learn. The author's curiosity and love for stories grow as he experiences nature and the mysterious sides of life. One memory stands out, a fascinating snake and discovering a book that made him love learning. All this sets the stage for a story that moves between looking inward and the exciting world of the Romany people.