Product Description

In the first two books of her autobiography, "Jessie's Journey and Tales from the Tent", Jess Smith told the story of her wandering years on the road with the last of Scotland's travellers, hawkers and gypsies. This third volume in the trilogy is Jess's at-times painful farewell to the travelling lifestyle which she loved. Settling down to 'scaldy' (non-traveller) existence - marriage, kids and domesticity in a small council house - was never going to be easy for her. But though there were sometimes tears, laughter is never far away. We move from a story of the car with no floor to a medical emergency, from the tall tales of her husband Dave's duck-hunt to his seafaring experiences, and from a chilling seance to a startling experiment with peroxide hair-colouring. There are more memories of Jess's early years on the road with her family in the old, blue bus. Through it all are scattered wonderful gems from Jess's treasury of traditional tales - what the Loch Ness Monster really is, the strange fate of Blind Harry, and the ominous appearances of shapeshifters and werewolves. Handing on the tales told to her as she grew up, Jess reminds us that though most travellers have gone from the roads, their approach to life, understanding of nature and precious cultural legacy live on, no matter how times may change.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #254669 in Books
• Published on: 2005-04-05
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 232 pages

Review
'Tales tumble out of Jess Smith's head and its her manner of telling them that is so compulsive.' The Scots Magazine 'Jess skilfully takes her reader into the world of Scottish Travellers in her own down-to-earth, straight-from-the-heart manner.' Travellers' Times 'heartwarming reminiscences...' The Sunday Post

The Scots Magazine
'Tales tumble out of Jess Smith's head and its her manner of telling them that is so compulsive.'

About the Author
Jess Smith was raised in a large family of Scottish travellers. She has been married to Dave for 35 years and has three children and six grandchildren. As a traditional storyteller, she is in great demand for live performances throughout Scotland. She lives near Crieff, Perthshire.

Customer Reviews

Tears for a Tinker.
This book is amazing and full of emotion, one minute your laughing out loud the next your shedding a tear.
It follows on from Jessie's Journey and Tales from the Tent and I was hooked from the first page, just like with the previous two. I would recommend the book to everyone, once you pick it up you can't put it down its so addictive, i've read it twice its so good. The book has everything from family tales, ghosts, poems, tales of the road and the story of the real Loch Ness monster, you'll never know if you don't read it! If you buy one book today then it should be this one.

Joss of the lost valley
Tears for a Tinker is the final step of Jess Smith's trilogy. It is her own story of living with a large family in a bus. A blind man can see this writer does in no way emulate Betsy Whites 'Yellow on the broom.'It's from another era where sayings like 'Fan Daddy Dosey' were uttered on many a tongue. Betsy's book was from the twenties and thirties where as Jess writes from fifties, sixties and seventies. Why is it that people outside the Traveling comunity see all Travellers the same? Scotland's not all tartan and shortbread so do not assume that Travellers are all the same stereotype image. Jess smith writes from her experiences, simple as that.I know her and am a massive fan of her books. she also knew Betsy and speaks very highly of her; matter of fact in Jessie's Journey she tells of her love for Betsy's son; which she smiles and says, 'he chased me away because I was only fourteen, and anyway he was already in love with another.
Tears for a Tinker is a moving account of Jess's last days as a road wanderer and how hard it was for her to settle down in a house.Scotland has a great writer in this woman and she should be encouraged every step of the way. Her debut novel; 'Bruar's rest' which was published last november is very popular. She has a sequel due next year and if you check her web page you can see there are more books in her wide pipeline.

Tears for a Tinker.
Tears for a Tinker is amazing and i'd recommend it to everyone. It's so full of emotions, one minute your laughing the next your crying. Its packed full of wee tale and stories and I couldn't put it down, i've read it twice already.
If you want to be amazed then go and buy this book and you'll find out who the real Loch Ness Monster is as well!