Faced with the consequences of her decisions, Paulina grows estranged from her family — but meets Gina, a cousin who left the community decades before. And Paulina turns to her ultimate battle: the fight for her children in court.Check out <a href="https://www.latimes.com/podcasts/story/2023-05-30/foretold-podcast-romani-american-child-custody-court">more information about this episode</a>. Read the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/podcasts/story/2023-05-30/foretold-episode-8-romani-american-custody-children">episode transcript</a>. Dive deeper: There is no monolithic “Romani American experience,” not even in California — there are a multitude of them. See opinion pieces by Romani writers in conjunction with the "Foretold" podcast <a href="https://latimes.com/foretold" target="_blank">here</a>.

This Was Foretold

Paulina Stevens grew up in an insular Romani American family, destined to leave school, marry young, and become a fortuneteller. By 17, her fate was sealed — until she decided to leave it all behind. "Foretold" follows Paulina as she navigates the consequences of her decision to leave her community and redefine her identity. Hosted by Los Angeles Times reporter Faith Pinho, "Foretold" will take you past the neon "psychic" signs and trendy tarot cards to unravel myths and stereotypes that have followed the Romani people for centuries.