Sightlines: Beyond the Beyond in Ireland

"Sightlines provides a window into the experiences of a novice anthropologist working in a region in the midst of industrialization. Eileen Kane is an exceptional and gifted writer. I found myself mesmerized by her prose. Ideal for introductory classes, this book shows how ethnographers can and should be writing."

Liam D. Murphy, California State University, Sacramento

"Eileen Kane’s memoir of an anthropologist-in-the-making will appeal to readers in and beyond the academy. Offering insight into the social histories of both Ireland and anthropology, Sightlines leaves us caring about the outcome for both the anthropologist and the people she writes about."

Robin Whitaker, Memorial University

"Sightlines is a wonderful book. It is a study of the complicated responses to the Irish government’s efforts in the 1960s, and it is the personal story of a young Irish-American anthropologist whose observations are by turns amusing and poignant, but always respectful and deeply sympathetic. Eloquent and insightful, Sightlines is a joy to read."

Kerby Miller, University of Missouri

"Eileen Kane has balanced her reminiscences of her ethnographic research in rural Ireland a half century ago with a sophisticated and at times touching portrait of an Ireland that is still the bedrock of today’s Irish culture. This is a must-read book in participatory research that will greatly benefit students of historical and contemporary Ireland."

Thomas M. Wilson, Binghamton University, SUNY