Tears for a Tinker

The last in a series of memoirs by a Scottish gypsy, this account traces Jess Smith's eventful life with husband Dave and their three children, from their earliest years together. Their adventures and achievements are interspersed with stories of her parents' childhood, her father's “tall tales,” and the eerie echoes of ghosts and hauntings that she has heard from gypsies and travelers over many years. Full of unforgettable characters and insight into the travelers' way of life, this book celebrates a lifestyle that stretches back more than 2,000 years and survives in the rich oral tradition of its people.