### Roads and Song *The first arc of Roots & Echoes* Long before the events that would reshape Europe in the twentieth century, families carried their histories across borders, along roads, and through generations—not only in names and bloodlines, but in stories, songs, traditions, and the things they chose to remember. Beginning beneath an apricot tree brought west from Anatolia into the Balkans, *Roads and Song* follows the lives and legacies of Romani families navigating a changing Europe. From the stories an elder tells young Rozália to the journeys, loves, losses, and difficult choices of her descendants, this historical arc explores the struggle to preserve identity, kinship, and belonging in a world increasingly determined to dictate where and how they may live. Across generations, roads lead families away from familiar places, while songs and stories keep alive the memories of those who travelled before them. Some traditions endure, others are hidden or forgotten, and still others survive in unexpected ways. *Roads and Song* is where the roots of the larger saga take hold—and where the first echoes begin.