West Cork is a magical place. The countryside has remained unspoiled and the people unaffected. A Place Near Heaven is the story of a calendar year in West Cork. Tranquil and beautifully written, it is a book in the finest tradition of writing on rural life and the natural world. In tracing the course of a full year, from January to December, Damien Enright captures the special atmosphere of the world in which he has chosen to live and which he loves with such obvious passion.