Rural Limerick takes center stage in Mike MacDomhnaill's debut short story collection. Every nook and cranny of this small town locale is explored to discover the effects that emigration, abuse, rural changes, and the 'Troubles' have had on the area. Along the way the universal themes of death, grieving, family, and the power of stories are uncovered. Sifting's characters have a familiarity to them that is intrinsically Irish. MacDomhnaill places them in a world of small town politics where they struggle to find their place in the social constructions that were built to exclude them. These fifteen short stories show that people have faced similar struggles throughout time – with the wonders of life come sorrows and the author forces us to reconcile the two. Mike MacDomhnaill also brings a sense of urgency to these tales; calling on the reader to shed their prejudices from the past and open their arms to change.