Small Things Like These
By Claire Keegan
Grove Press, #9780802158741, November 2021, 128 pp.
The Short of It:
Brief, but powerful.
The Rest of It:
“It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church.” ~ the publisher
This is a fictional account of an actual event in history when fallen young girls were set to convents in Ireland. Disguised as a home for girls, it was actually a cruel, abusive place called a Magdalen laundry. These women often lost their babies. The numbers of children lost, in the thousands.
In this story, Bill delivers coal to the convent and discovers a young girl, locked away. She begs for help. He’s not sure how to respond and can’t under watchful eyes. So he returns home, to his wife and five daughters as they prepare for the Christmas holiday.
There’s cake making. Gift wrapping, the merry sounds of a happy family but Bill cannot forget that young girl at the convent. He mentions it to his wife Eileen and she reminds him that the convent is very good to them. They pay on time and often include a Christmas bonus, which they did. She tells him to forget the incident. That everyone knows what goes on there but that it’s none of their business.
This doesn’t sit well with Bill. His mind keeps going back to that young girl, her name is Sarah and as he gazes upon his own girls, he is unwilling to let it go.
This is a marvelous read. Short. Very short. I had no idea how short it was when I was looking for a book to read on Hoopla. A mere 128 pages but each page is so rich with detail. There are no extra words here. Every word bears weight. The heavy story line against the joys of Christmas is a stark juxtaposition but it works so well here. As brief as it is, it would be a good discussion book for a club.
Recommend. It was shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize.
Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.
Book Chatter 
This book is on my to read list. I plan on reading it in December.
December would be a good time to read it.
I loved this book and it was one of my top choices for last year.
I’ve been seeing it around but I was too lazy to go downstairs to get my Kindle so looked to see what was available via my phone and Hoopla and found it. Very good. Looking to read her other books now.
Nicely reviewed! I thought it was powerful too and remains my favorite Keegan book so far. I have read Foster too and So Late in the Day, but this one I was able to get into more. I keep waiting for her next. Also the movie is almost out! I didn’t even know about it until recently. Should be powerful and sad.
Keegan’s new one comes out next week! Very brief. Only 120 pp. https://groveatlantic.com/book/so-late-in-the-day/
So I have read & reviewed her book So Late in the Day in Dec. 2023. I think it came out last year. But check it out! Is there another one?
My bad. I thought it said 2024. You’re right. This is not new. Darn.
No prob. You must read Keegan’s story Antarctica (the last story in the collection). It’s spooky!
Alright. I just got the book from Hoopla so I’ll let you know what I think about that spooky story.
I am putting this on my list. I loved your other recent recommendations, so this is going on the list.
I bought this last year after the holidays, and have been saving it to read in December. I enjoyed her earlier book and am looking forward to this one.