From LA to rural Scotland: The odyssey of a bookworm

It gives people a false hope (or BAD impressions, depending) when they read articles like that.
At least in the BBC clip she talked about visas, but if she was working illegally, then that's crap.  Because it just makes it so much harder for everyone needing to jump through the legal hoops!! 

Maybe she stopped when she found out it was illegal.  But I doubt it.

She seems to be doing the rounds...

She wrote a book, which came out about a month and a half ago.

Book about immigrating to the UK + lots of UK immigration stories in the news = profit!

(My wife's a writer, and also does some PR work, so I know my way around finding a hook for a news story.   )

Because, you know, a 'spiritual connection' is all you need in order to move here...  

*snort*  

Alas, my inner spiritual connection sunseeker remains in Tampa Bay.

Mine's on the West coast of Ireland.

I wonder if it's just a media thing -- oversimplifying facts to make the article more attractive to readers? Surely if she had been doing something dodgy she wouldn't want to publicize herself at all.

I wonder if it's just a media thing -- oversimplifying facts to make the article more attractive to readers? Surely if she had been doing something dodgy she wouldn't want to publicize herself at all.

Well that's what I would have thought.  I mean, I certainly wouldn't if I'd done something similar.  But the Psychologies article was written by her and it did say she had a vision she was working in a small bookshop in Scotland.  She googled shops, emailed the owner and went over for a month to work.

In other versions of the story, she says she went for a book festival and was just holidaying for a month. In some articles her boyfriend is called Shaun, in others Euan. And if the legal row isn't settled, how is she here getting videos on the BBC website? It's all very strange.

From what I've learned from this site and the UKBA, you certainly can't get a visa to come to the UK to work in a bookshop....

Possibly she came over to visit, and ended up worked under the table? I can't imagine owners of a small independent bookshop knowing much about immigration rules or asking to see work visas or do background checks, ect, so it was probably pretty easy.

I agree with previous comments, is a little bit fishy, someone who seems intelligent just thinking it's okay to come over here and "live your dreams"

Sounds like she met a guy, online, and hey - there was Scotland & a bookstore attached... 

Sounds like she met a guy, online, and hey - there was Scotland & a bookstore attached... 

Yep! Just read an article after I posted my previous comment. Sounds like she went over to see this book festival, or the guy, whichever came first... then he probably helped her out, let her work in the shop.

In some articles her boyfriend is called Shaun, in others Euan.

I found a few excerpts from her book, and it seems as though he is called 'Euan' in the book, but Shaun in the articles  .

Also, the few glimpses from the book that I could see were mentions of her being granted a '6 month working visa' - although for the life of me, I can't quite figure out what type of visa exactly it was.

Also, there is a mention of them realising that she was going to have to leave the UK unless she could qualify for a different visa - and partner visa, work visa, marrying for a visa etc were all mentioned as possibilities... just can't read any more from the book without buying though.

Here's yet another version from a month ago: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2261039/The-Californian-film-maker-unlikely-passion-Britains-remote-towns-.html

Also, the few glimpses from the book that I could see were mentions of her being granted a '6 month working visa' - although for the life of me, I can't quite figure out what type of visa exactly it was.

Ha! Funny. If she did do this illegally, I bet she had to change the story a bit for the book.

It would make sense if she were Canadian, but she is definitely not.

Sounds like she met a guy, online, and hey - there was Scotland & a bookstore attached... 

Well in the Psychologies article she found the bookshop first and when she went over and met the guy in person she fell for him.

Here's yet another version from a month ago: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2261039/The-Californian-film-maker-unlikely-passion-Britains-remote-towns-.html

I didn't read the whole thing, but

"I clicked on the first store that caught my eye — The Bookshop —  emailed the owner a brief resume of my career, and asked if I could work for free for a month in return for accommodation.
Half an hour later, I had a reply. ‘Dear Jessica’, it said, ‘thank you for your letter could you please tell me more about yourself Euan"

Seems like a lot of different stories are popping up....

Well she's a writer - the more ways she can spin the story, make it new/different/reframed, the more times she'll be able to sell it. Ka-ching!