Summary of The Color of Smoke
“The Color of Smoke” is a coming-of-age story set in the Hungarian countryside during the 1930s and early 1940s. It follows the bittersweet adventures of a young Romani boy. Through vivid scenes of school life, first loves, and the looming shadow of fascism, the novel captures both the everyday joys and the injustices experienced by Hungary’s Roma communities during this turbulent period.
Reasons to read The Color of Smoke
“The Color of Smoke” is one of the few novels focusing on the Eastern European Roma people (often referred to as “Gypsies”, although this term is controversial). The novel provides an authentic glimpse into the lives of the Roma people in Hungary, describing their traditions, marriage customs, and even herbal medicine, and is peppered with Romani slang words. The book is a strong critique of the treatment of the Romani minority in Hungary during the 1930 and 1940s. Menyhért Lakatos, a Hungarian-Romani writer, drew inspiration from his own youth for this novel. “The Color of Smoke” is his most famous book. Kirkus Reviews described it as “A rare, observant, but rough-around-the-edges snapshot of Romany life.”
Setting: Hungary
Book set in Hungary: Un unnamed Roma settlement in northeastern Hungary
Original title: Füstös képek
Year of publication: 1975
Nr of pages: 480
