Fintan Doherty's 1950s childhood in Glenbay, Donegal, is filled with two things: tales of America told by a plethora of 'returned Yanks' and the silent sadness after his mother's death.

Soon as he becomes an adult, he leaves for the States – via Europe – and never stands still again. His journey way out west to Ohio and back up to Boston brings Fintan to an eclectic and diverse array of jobs, rented rooms, landscapes, acquaintances, friends and lovers, each one either confirming or confounding his idea of the land he now inhabits. His life as a new emigrant – a self 'missing in motion' – is underscored by his search for a painting of his mother by an American artist who once visited the home place long before Fintan was born.

Although we first met Fintan in Nighthawk Alley (1997), Way Out West stands alone as an enchanting coming-of-age story of texture and world-building, many affectionately observed characters and Glavin's subtle reflections on trauma, loss and a hope that somehow renews.