This is a gripping tale of love and war, family life and political intrigue over eleven centuries. Vividly describing the passions and struggles, Rutherford depicts the main stages of Irish history: the tribal culture of pagan Ireland; St. Patrick's Mission; the Viking invasion and the founding of Dublin; creating cultural treasures like the Book of Kells; Henry II's attempts to colonize medieval Ireland. Through the intersecting stories of memorable characters—druids and chiefs, monks and smugglers, nobles and farmers' wives, workers and orphans, rebels and cowards—Rutherford creates a moving book steeped in the tragedy and glory of Ireland. This is a novel for all those who have visited Ireland and fell in love with this country. This book is for all those who have yet to visit there. For the first time in Russian!