As a young anthropologist, Don Kulick went to the tiny village of Gapun in New Guinea to document the death of the native language, Tayap. Over the course of 30 years, as he returned again and again to study a language spoken by less than 100 natives, he found himself inexorably drawn into the lives and world of the Gapuners. In this thoughtful account, Kulick takes us inside the village as he came to know it, revealing the impact of Western culture on the farthest reaches of the globe—and detailing why he had to give up his study of this people and their language.

"Kulick wears his scholar's hat casually in this deeply personal, engaging inquiry.... A sad and uplifting, ultimately poignant exploration."—Kirkus Reviews