Award-winning travel writer Millman tromps through West Ireland's rugged countryside to record the oral history of its people before their hard-earned traditions are permanently stifled by industrialization and development. In doing so, he produces a "lovely nugget of good writing" (New York Times) that relays the personal tales of traditional laborers-the tinkers, cartwrights, rat-charmers, coopers, thatchers, farriers, gleemen, pig-gelders-with candor and depth.