The Faroe Islands, beguiling and mystical in the North Atlantic, have never produced an elite sportsman. Or so British journalist Rod Gilmour thought. Then he discovered swimmer Pal Joensen, medallist at the World and European Championships, whose name has become a byword for success in his country. Pal's journey was not easy: learning his art in a 12.5 metre pool, trained by coaches working with little support, prevented from competing for his own country in the Olympic Games. But his rise to the swimming elite has given reason for Faroese to believe that victory really is possible: the Pal Effect. This is a lyrical account of how one man beat the odds and galvanised a nation.