Summary

When Clodagh was 23, she came from Ireland to the United States to pursue her master's degree. Many things about America and New York City were unfamiliar. When Clodagh began to have trouble with her degree, she became curious about what her friend called "mentors" (29). The concept did not exist in Ireland. She “audited an undergraduate class in anthropology” to give herself a break from “applied analytics” (29). The course was called “Animals & People” (29). The professor, Paola Visintin, fascinated Clodagh. She was not only Italian, but stylish and mysterious.

Clodagh’s relationship with her started when she asked if she could see Paola “during ‘office hours’” (30). Over the course of the next two years, Clodagh visited Paola intermittently at “a coffee shop on West 141st Street,” a place that was initially difficult to find (30). Clodagh loved talking to Paola. She seemed to respect Ireland, remarking...