Jessie's Journey by Jess Smith

Jessie's Journey by Jess Smith

"Jessie's Journey" is an unforgettable account of a way of life that has all but vanished. It is the story of Jessie, her seven sisters and their unconventional childhood roaming the country in an old blue Bedford bus. In this moving, honest and heart-warming memoir, Jess describes her life among an extraordinary people and their never-ending struggle to survive as free nomads. Jessie's parents lacked material wealth, but they clung to 'the richness that comes from freedom, a traveller's freedom.' Living as they did on the edge of "respectable" society, prejudice was never far away, but their world was brimming with laughter, love and adventure. Earning their living hay-stacking, beach-combing, ragging, midden-raking, berry-picking, fortune-telling and hawking, Jessie and her family travelled the length and breadth of Scotland and beyond. Reflecting on the friendships, feuds, trials and tribulations of her boisterous family, Jess recalls a magical childhood, surrounded by the sea spray, birch woods and wild places of a Scotland few of us will ever know.

'The story of.. the family events, the moments to cherish, the strange and peculiar aspects to life - and the sheer joy of living'

* Dundee Courier *

'A vividly told account of the author's unconventional childhood roaming the country, a never-ending struggle to survive as free nomads. The family's riches came from freedom, in a world full of laughter, love and adventure'

* Scots Magazine *

'Jessie's Journey recounts a magical childhood and offers a fascinating insight into the world of Scotland's traditional travellers'

* Sunday Post *

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.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781841830339
ISBN 10	184183033X
Title	Jessie's Journey
Author	Jess Smith
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Mercat Press
Year published	2002-08-31
Number of pages	256
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.