Rich troves of personal letters and memoirs related to four families who resided in Argentina during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries provide the substance of this book, whose objective, according to the author, is to “observe in detail the network of experiences of a few Irish emigrants to Argentina and their families within the totality of their relations” (p. 5). Lest it be merely a compilation of transcribed letters, as informative as they may be, Murray offers a historical and analytical context for the primary materials, reviewing relevant literature, citing a variety of statistics (county of origin in Ireland, age upon arrival in Buenos Aires and at marriage and death, place of residence in the Province of Buenos Aires, and occupation), and assessing motivations for the significant emigration of Irish to Argentina. These two parts are complemented by an epilogue; numerous appendixes, including a chronology; a genealogical guide to individuals mentioned in the letters and memoirs; a glossary; and a currency conversion. Finally, copious and lengthy notes and a selected bibliography complete the book.The Irish were not the largest immigrant group to Argentina, nor was South America a major destination of the Irish diaspora. Yet the Irish left an indelible mark on Argentine culture, particularly in the province of Buenos Aires, where many achieved status and wealth through their holdings of land and livestock. Becoming Irlandés takes us deeply into the everyday lives of Edward Robbins, Martin Murphy, John James Pettit, and Tom Garrahan and their families and friends. Acknowledging that these were not well-to-do or well-known people, Murray invites them to tell their own stories and thus to illustrate some of the ways in which Ireland and Argentina were connected on a human and very personal level. As Murry indicates in his epilogue, there is much still to study among Irish-Argentines, just as there is among other immigrant groups in Argentina.This unusual book is really several books in one. Because of the distinct sections, it does not read smoothly. This is further complicated by the extensive notes, which prove to be disruptive to the text of both the theoretical introduction and the primary source chapters. As the author points out (p. 27), the book may be read in three ways, in addition to straight through from start to finish. The reader may focus on the letters and memoirs, themselves minutely detailed descriptions of the trials and celebrations of daily life and of individuals’ motivations and decisions, social relationships, and inter actions with their old and new homes. One may choose to “read the notes without relation to the text.” Indeed, the notes provide so much information and even analysis, rather than simply clarification or elaboration of points made in the text, that they could be viewed as an independent source. And finally, he suggests that the introduction, epilogue, and appendixes can be read as enrichment to the stories found in the letters and memoirs.Becoming Irlandés has applicability to general immigration studies, but the book will most interest scholars and students of Irish emigration to Argentina, as well as genealogists. It gathers in one place, from multiple sources, an abundance of biographical information and details of the daily lives of individuals, their communities, and small towns in “the camp” of the Province of Buenos Aires. The author has succeeded at bringing the reader up close to the quotidian concerns of those whose memoirs and letters he has compiled. The book suggests further study of numerous aspects of the history of the Irish in Argentina, the connections between Ireland and Latin America, and the comparative experiences of the Irish in other parts of the world during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.