David Monagan is a restless, middle-aged father of three who for years has dreamed of relocating from the USA to Ireland, the land of his forebears. In his elegantly written, often hilarious narrative, Monagan describes his family's evolving struggle to come to terms with life in a strange land. The result is an honest, heartfelt and penetrating portrait of a contemporary Ireland that is so often portrayed through the wistful lens of clichs that no longer apply.

Jaywalking with the Irish is a tale of revelations - about donkey carts transformed into BMWs, about great blessings of warmth sometimes laced with begrudgery, about what happens to a family that ditches stability for the tricky task of fitting in abroad.