This is a collection of short stories by one of Ireland’s best playwrights.

I think you can tell that these stories were written by someone who’s at home with the stage. The dialogue really shines. And some of the stories feel like scenes in a play.

But that’s no bad thing. If most short stories are like mini-novels, why not have short stories that are like mini-plays?

Some of the stories are very short indeed, just long enough to convey the mood of the piece. That mood is often wistful, melancholy, or nostalgiac.

This collection comes with an equally brief introduction by the brilliant Louise Kennedy.

This slim volume makes for a great travel read. Slip it into your pocket and you’ll have an instant portal to a bygone time and place in the west of Ireland.