Tsveti, Misho, and Zorka are three children living in Nadeshda, one of Bulgaria’s largest Roma ghettos. They all aspire to become professional musicians, but the economic conditions and cultural traditions of the ghetto threaten their ability to succeed. Unemployment is rampant, education is limited, and Romani girls like Tsveti and Zorka are at risk of being kidnapped off the streets by the families of young men and forced into marriage. Tsveti wants her father to let her go away to music school to train in classical violin, but he fears the discrimination she’ll face from other Bulgarians. Meanwhile, Misho and Zorka’s parents search for a new family home outside the ghetto but come up against hostility and suspicion because they’re Romani. Achieving their musical dreams and finding better futures may be daunting prospects, but Tsveti, Misho, and Zorka know that nadezhda is also the Bulgarian word for hope.  EM