Set in the harsh landscape of Midland Ireland, By the Bog of Cats follows Hester Swayne, an Irish traveler who is on the verge of losing everything she holds dear: her lover, her land, and even her daughter. Carr's daring and contemporary Irish take on the Medea story features an array of eccentric, at times comic, and often, menacing characters, all of whom threaten Hester's very existence. Heartbreaking and brutal, By the Bog of Cats is a story about the human need for belonging, the cruelty of exclusion and the spiral of betrayal leading to terrible revenge.