In a London pub in the 1950s, editor William Maginn is intrigued by a reference to the reputedly shameful demise of a remote mountain village in Kerry, Ireland, where he was born. Maginn returns to Kerry and uncovers an astonishing tale of an increasingly isolated village where the women mysteriously die - leaving the priest, Father McGreevy, to cope. McGreevy struggles to preserve what remains of his parish against the rough mountain elements, and the grief and superstitions of his people. A remarkable story, rich in the details of Irish lore and life. "O"Doherty"s eloquent prose conjures up snow and cold and isolation as clearly as it does small town spite and gossip...bone-chilling."--Atlantic Monthly.