Small Things Like These: 'Absolutely beautiful'—Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie Bain
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- Create Date：2021-10-26 10:15:58
- Update Date：2025-09-24
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- Author：Claire Keegan
- ISBN：B08W8TWWFQ
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Summary
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。
Already an international bestseller， Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope， quiet heroism， and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers。
Already an international bestseller， Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope， quiet heroism， and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers。
Reviews
Katherine
，
Short， concise and powerfully affecting！ A little know event rarely acknowledged is the basis for this holiday tale showing the true Christian worth of a man。 I only wish this were longer。 Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for this wonderful read， #smallthingslikethese to read and review。
T P Kennedy
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A really enjoyable small book。 There's a great story here - the economy of language heightens the impact of this work。 It's almost on a par with her writing in Foster。 A magnificent novella with its subtlety comparable to William Trevor。 A really enjoyable small book。 There's a great story here - the economy of language heightens the impact of this work。 It's almost on a par with her writing in Foster。 A magnificent novella with its subtlety comparable to William Trevor。 。。。more
Margaret
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A descriptive and searching story set in Ireland midst the struggles of individuals 。 It delves into the issues around the way the unmarried mothers were treated by the Catholic Church 。
Collette Mcgaahan
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A heartbreaking story beautifully told。 The hardest part was that the time the book was set is relatively recent。 There could so easily be a follow on written but perhaps the author really just wants to tell this tale。
KarenK2
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I received this from Netgalley。com。 An interesting short story about Bill Furlong who makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church。3☆
Kaye Fraser
，
It only takes an hour or so to read this short novella， but it is an hour well spent with sensitive writing and a Christmas theme of warmth and humanity。 In fact， this little book should be on everyone’s Christmas list， as it spreads the message of love and generosity to all。 Set in Ireland in the time of the infamous Magdalen laundries， it explores the thoughts of a kind and hardworking man， who believes himself blessed with a wife and five daughters， and who is deeply moved by the plight of th It only takes an hour or so to read this short novella， but it is an hour well spent with sensitive writing and a Christmas theme of warmth and humanity。 In fact， this little book should be on everyone’s Christmas list， as it spreads the message of love and generosity to all。 Set in Ireland in the time of the infamous Magdalen laundries， it explores the thoughts of a kind and hardworking man， who believes himself blessed with a wife and five daughters， and who is deeply moved by the plight of those with less than himself。 A deeply moving read that will stay in the mind of the reader for far longer than it takes to read the book。 。。。more
Janelle
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This novella was a quick yet emotional read。 Set in 1985 in a small Irish town。 It starts so quietly， Furlong is a man with a wife and five daughters。 He works hard at his business， delivering coal and wood; and we learn about his childhood。Then the story takes a turn。 One of his customers is the convent beside the school his daughters attend。 The convent runs a laundry， and of course I knew where it was now going。 Simply told and well written， it makes you wonder how people can just carry on an This novella was a quick yet emotional read。 Set in 1985 in a small Irish town。 It starts so quietly， Furlong is a man with a wife and five daughters。 He works hard at his business， delivering coal and wood; and we learn about his childhood。Then the story takes a turn。 One of his customers is the convent beside the school his daughters attend。 The convent runs a laundry， and of course I knew where it was now going。 Simply told and well written， it makes you wonder how people can just carry on and ignore what everyone knows。 。。。more
Lisa Day
，
I read this one within a couple hours and it was excellent。 The front cover review says "powerful and affecting and very timely，" Hilary Mantel， and I can't help but agree。 Pretty frightening the power of the church and its inability of its leaders to know right from wrong。 I read this one within a couple hours and it was excellent。 The front cover review says "powerful and affecting and very timely，" Hilary Mantel， and I can't help but agree。 Pretty frightening the power of the church and its inability of its leaders to know right from wrong。 。。。more
Agus
，
Siento que el hype me arruinó un poco la experiencia de lectura。。。Llegué a esta novela breve con muchas expectativas por leer a esta autora que está tan en boga últimamente， pero la verdad que ni fu ni fa。Me gustó la premisa de la historia: basada en hechos reales， cuenta la vida de un hombre sencillo， anónimo para el mundo， pero reconocido y respetado por sus pares， que se ve alterada por un encuentro que pone sobre la mesa una situación escondida debajo del mantel por mucho tiempo。 También dis Siento que el hype me arruinó un poco la experiencia de lectura。。。Llegué a esta novela breve con muchas expectativas por leer a esta autora que está tan en boga últimamente， pero la verdad que ni fu ni fa。Me gustó la premisa de la historia: basada en hechos reales， cuenta la vida de un hombre sencillo， anónimo para el mundo， pero reconocido y respetado por sus pares， que se ve alterada por un encuentro que pone sobre la mesa una situación escondida debajo del mantel por mucho tiempo。 También disfruté mucho el ritmo que impone Claire Keegan en su escritura: pausado， sencillo， con toques poéticos por momentos， con lindas descripciones que ayudan al lector a adentrarse en el ambiente。 Sin embargo， en esta novela en particular siento que， como autora， no explotó el potencial de la historia que nos presenta。 Para mí， cortó la historia cuando empezaba a contarla。。。 entiendo que， tal vez， su idea no fue escribir específicamente sobre el hecho real que la inspiró， pero podría haberle sacado más jugo y desarrollar más la historia de Furlong， del pueblo， de los demás personajes。。。Mi conclusión: está mal， pero no tan mal。 。。。more
Sinéad
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A gorgeous piece of writing。 Echoes of Snuggie Bain， nostalgic and horrifying and hopeful all at once。
Lori Sinsel Harris
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Big things come in little packages。 How true these words are。 This small novella holds large lessons for us all。 Bill Furlong is out making a delivery for his timber and coal company when he makes a shocking discovery， one that will， if not handled properly be his downfall。 This story teaches us about doing the right thing， even when it is so much easier to turn a blind eye， to look away， pretend you don't see or know what is happening。 To go against the grain and do what is morally right， not w Big things come in little packages。 How true these words are。 This small novella holds large lessons for us all。 Bill Furlong is out making a delivery for his timber and coal company when he makes a shocking discovery， one that will， if not handled properly be his downfall。 This story teaches us about doing the right thing， even when it is so much easier to turn a blind eye， to look away， pretend you don't see or know what is happening。 To go against the grain and do what is morally right， not what society or those in power dictate what is right or acceptable。 It shows how small acts， boldly taken can be worth the world。 That sometimes going against the grain， and not being blind but actually seeing and doing something about it is the only acceptable avenue to take。 Set at Christmas time， I feel this novella is destined to be a Christmas classic， up there with "It's A Wonderful Life， Gift of the Magi， and A Christmas Carol"。 An excellent， heart-touching， heart-warming story of human kindness， courage and bravery。 A joy to read。 Thank you to the publishers at Grove Atlantic Press and to Net Galley for the free ARC， I am leaving my honest review in return。 。。。more
Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice*
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EXCERPT: It would be the easiest thing in the world to lose everything， Furlong knew。 Although he did not venture far， he got around - and many an unfortunate he'd seen around town and out on the country roads。 The dole queues were getting longer and there were men out there who couldn't pay their ESB bills， living in houses no warmer than bunkers， sleeping in their coats。 Women， on the first Friday of every month， lined up at the post office wall with shopping bags， waiting to collect their chi EXCERPT: It would be the easiest thing in the world to lose everything， Furlong knew。 Although he did not venture far， he got around - and many an unfortunate he'd seen around town and out on the country roads。 The dole queues were getting longer and there were men out there who couldn't pay their ESB bills， living in houses no warmer than bunkers， sleeping in their coats。 Women， on the first Friday of every month， lined up at the post office wall with shopping bags， waiting to collect their children's allowances。 And farther out the country， he'd known cows to be left bawling to be milked because the man who had their care had upped， suddenly， and taken the boat to Fishguard。 Once， a man from St Mullins got a lift into town to pay his bill， saying that they'd had to sell the car as they couldn't get a wink of sleep knowing what was owing， that the bank was coming down on them。 And early one morning， Furlong had seen a young schoolboy eating from a chip bag that had been thrown down on the street the night before。 ABOUT 'SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE': 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。MY THOUGHTS: It is no small thing that coal and fuel merchant William （Bill） Furlong does。 1985 was a time of great hardship。 Bill， although not wealthy， is doing all right for himself and is able to provide for his family - wife Eileen and his five daughters， through careful money management。 Bill Furlong has come from nothing， less than nothing really。 But he and his mother were shown great kindness and that is something Billy is dwelling on this Christmas。 When Billy discovers someone being treated cruelly and inhumanely， and discovers that his beloved Catholic church is covering it up， he faces a dilemma。 Does he help， as his mother was helped？ Or does he take heed of the warning and walk away？For such a short book （128 pages）， Small Things Like These packs a solid punch。 While a work of fiction， the truth is that many thousands of girls and women were incarcerated and forced to work， hidden in disgrace behind church walls， never to be spoken of nor seen again。 The children were adopted out， sold， or simply disappeared。 Records were nonexistent or destroyed。 Small Things Like These is a powerful book about family， love， and trying to do the right thing。 It is not a read that I am likely to forget in a hurry。 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐#SmallThingsLikeThese #NetGalley I: #clairekeeganfiction @groveatlantic T: @CKeeganFiction @GroveAtlantic #fivestarread #christmasfiction #historicalfiction #irishfiction #novella THE AUTHOR: Claire Keegan was born in County Wicklow， the youngest of a large family。 She travelled to New Orleans， Louisiana when she was seventeen， and studied English and Political Science at Loyola University。 She returned to Ireland in 1992 and lived for a year in Cardiff， Wales， where she undertook an MA in creative writing and taught undergraduates at the University of Wales。DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Grove Atlantic via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan for review。 All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions。 For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads。com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday。wordpress。com This review is also published on Twitter， Amazon， Instagram and my webpage 。。。more
Sara Stamey
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This beautifully spare and touching tale， set in 1985 Ireland， centers on a moral crisis of individuals and society。 Bill Furlong， a coal merchant who has carefully built a business and family life after growing up as an orphan， begins to suspect that the powerful Catholic influence in the town harbors deep injustice。 The nunnery that also runs a laundry business has been harboring unwed mothers， but secretly using them as indentured servants who cannot escape the locked facility。 As Bill stumbl This beautifully spare and touching tale， set in 1985 Ireland， centers on a moral crisis of individuals and society。 Bill Furlong， a coal merchant who has carefully built a business and family life after growing up as an orphan， begins to suspect that the powerful Catholic influence in the town harbors deep injustice。 The nunnery that also runs a laundry business has been harboring unwed mothers， but secretly using them as indentured servants who cannot escape the locked facility。 As Bill stumbles upon an abused young woman who is trying to escape the facility， he is repeatedly warned by everyone from his wife to the local priest to “mind your own business。” Everything Bill has worked for is threatened if he follows his conscience and reveals what he knows。 The story draws on the actual scandal in Ireland and abuses by the Church， and will stir a reader’s heart and outrage。 Bill is a fully realized character who shares the intimate unfolding of his own past and the difficult present， and the perfectly chosen details of small-town life and social strata keep it grounded。 Highly recommended。（ I received an advance ebook via NetGalley for review） 。。。more
Melissa
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Sparse yet poignant novella about doing the right thing， even in the face of adversity。 With few words， Keegan manages to portray the pathos of the Magdalen laundries， the cold of Christmas time， and the urge of one man to acknowledge the small things in life and do more。I don't want to say much more。 It's a beautifully written novella， and to summarize the plot， as it is， would be to ruin the experience for the next reader。 Bill Furlong will tug at your heartstrings。It is 1985 in a small Irish Sparse yet poignant novella about doing the right thing， even in the face of adversity。 With few words， Keegan manages to portray the pathos of the Magdalen laundries， the cold of Christmas time， and the urge of one man to acknowledge the small things in life and do more。I don't want to say much more。 It's a beautifully written novella， and to summarize the plot， as it is， would be to ruin the experience for the next reader。 Bill Furlong will tug at your heartstrings。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。Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Delfina
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3。5 Es una historia narrada en un lenguaje austero， sencillo。 Me recordó al tono de Tres luces。 Nouvelle en apariencia simple， pero que aborda temas complejos como la identidad， la empatía y la hipocresía de la clase media y religiosa。 ¡La recomiendo！ sobre todo cuando uno viene agotado de lecturas muy pesadas。
Lisa
，
Wow， this book is just perfect。 It’s a 128 pages of the most beautiful and concise writing。 It reminded me of Truman Capote， where no words are wasted and yet we clearly see the characters and their world。The story is set in the days leading up to Christmas as coal man Furlong starts to realise that the laundry that produces the beautiful white linen has a secret that is dirtier than the coal he delivers。 It’s a real Christmas story， not a fluffy romance but one about young women that find thems Wow， this book is just perfect。 It’s a 128 pages of the most beautiful and concise writing。 It reminded me of Truman Capote， where no words are wasted and yet we clearly see the characters and their world。The story is set in the days leading up to Christmas as coal man Furlong starts to realise that the laundry that produces the beautiful white linen has a secret that is dirtier than the coal he delivers。 It’s a real Christmas story， not a fluffy romance but one about young women that find themselves unmarried and pregnant and how at times basic decent humanity can seem like a Christmas miracle。I loved unassuming Furlong so much， and felt so angry at how the women who were sent to the Magdalen laundries were treated。 It deals with personal and community accountability， as how secret were these laundries and their practices？ How many people turned a blind eye because it was the easiest thing to do？ I was shocked to learn that the last one only closed in 1996！！！ It was horrifying to be told how many children had died within their walls。I was lucky enough to be gifted an eARC of this by @faberbooks， it’s available this week and please go and get hold of a copy and enjoy one of the best books that you will read this year。 It may be a short book， but it will live with me for a very long time。 。。。more
Astrid Herhoffer
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This is a small big book - more a novella than a novel – and I enjoyed it from its first page right through to its very last word。 Usually， when I enjoy a book so much， I feel bereft when I have to let go but with this one it felt just right。 There was nothing more to add and I was left with a little nugget of joy in my heart that I will keep forever。Keegan takes us to a small Irish town in the 80s where we meet Bill Furlong， the local coal and timber merchant， who - like all of us torn between This is a small big book - more a novella than a novel – and I enjoyed it from its first page right through to its very last word。 Usually， when I enjoy a book so much， I feel bereft when I have to let go but with this one it felt just right。 There was nothing more to add and I was left with a little nugget of joy in my heart that I will keep forever。Keegan takes us to a small Irish town in the 80s where we meet Bill Furlong， the local coal and timber merchant， who - like all of us torn between complicity and doing what’s right - does the right thing and restores in his quiet yet resolute way the reader’s hope and believe in humanity。 Small Things Like These refer to the everyday acts of kindness that make all the difference in a life， for the person who is giving as well as for the person who is at the receiving end of it。Our hero himself has experienced such an act of kindness as a child and it made him into that person who， despite feeling the urge to side with the silent majority， does not look the other way。 He does something brave: in his quiet manner he opposes abuse exercised by the omnipotent Catholic Church and condoned by the state and the silence of many， as it happened in his local Magdalen laundry。Keegan’s restrained style of writing creates a very atmospheric book in which no word is wasted， every word is precise and creates something rather special: a moral tale of a world where Small Things Like These make a real difference。The story is set in the run-up to Christmas and indeed， it reads and feels like a Christmas story and I wouldn’t be surprised if generations to come （especially in Ireland） will grow up reading or listening to this story during pre-Christmas time。 After all we all know， It’s A Wonderful Life。Many thanks to NetGalley and Faber&Faber for an ARC in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Sabri
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🥀 Es el primer libro que leo de esta escritora。 Digo el primero porque sin duda voy a seguir con sus otros textos。 🐔 Con una narración simple y clara， la autora nos lleva a la vida de Bill Furlong， una persona sencilla con un pasado difícil， sin ningunas otras cualidades extraordinarias que la de ser un buen hombre， trabajador y honesto， lo cual no es poco decir。 🥀Él se encuentra en un momento de su vida en el que se siente atrapado en una cotidianeidad que lo abruma， que lo invita a preguntarse 🥀 Es el primer libro que leo de esta escritora。 Digo el primero porque sin duda voy a seguir con sus otros textos。 🐔 Con una narración simple y clara， la autora nos lleva a la vida de Bill Furlong， una persona sencilla con un pasado difícil， sin ningunas otras cualidades extraordinarias que la de ser un buen hombre， trabajador y honesto， lo cual no es poco decir。 🥀Él se encuentra en un momento de su vida en el que se siente atrapado en una cotidianeidad que lo abruma， que lo invita a preguntarse a sí mismo si todo lo que vive se va a continuar en el tiempo， sin cambio alguno， hasta que comienza ， no sólo a cuestionarse él mismo， sino a la forma de pensar de los que lo rodean。 🐔Bill， es testigo de una situación de la que todo el pueblo sabe （o sospecha） y no dice， y se hará una pregunta clave， seguirá sus instintos sin dudarlo y será protagonista de un cambio sin precedentes en su vida， y en la vida de alguien más。 🥀 Narrada en primera persona， ésta novela de ficción de Claire Keegan no tiene desperdicio。 Nos muestra de una forma sutil， cuánta diferencia hace un pequeño acto de luz de sólo un individuo， entre tanta oscura indiferencia del resto de la sociedad， y cómo una mirada al pasado puede ser indispensable para tomar las riendas del futuro。🐔 Inspirada en las mujeres， niñas y chicos que murieron en los hogares para madres e hijos y en las lavanderías de la Magdalena en Irlanda， esta historia nos deja con un corazón latiendo y a la vez， con un trago amargo que es difícil de olvidar。 。。。more
Paula Bonnet
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Tan simple y tan hermoso。
Kate Vane
，
Small Things Like These is just my kind of book， quietly powerful， beautifully told。Bill Furlong is a coal merchant in a small Irish town in 1985。 In the run up to Christmas， he goes about his work， observing the people in his community。 There’s an economic crisis and he sees poverty。 There are births， deaths， small joys and hidden sadnesses。 Permeating it all is the power of the church。With quiet compassion， Bill goes about his day， helping where he can， reflecting on the happy life he has with Small Things Like These is just my kind of book， quietly powerful， beautifully told。Bill Furlong is a coal merchant in a small Irish town in 1985。 In the run up to Christmas， he goes about his work， observing the people in his community。 There’s an economic crisis and he sees poverty。 There are births， deaths， small joys and hidden sadnesses。 Permeating it all is the power of the church。With quiet compassion， Bill goes about his day， helping where he can， reflecting on the happy life he has with his wife and five children， despite a complicated childhood。His wife， Eileen， is more pragmatic and hard-nosed than he is。 In times of fear she looks to protect her own。 And there are hints that all is not well for at least two of his five daughters。Then Bill is confronted with a choice， a moral dilemma， one that throws into relief everything that has happened in his life。 He takes action。This is just the point where what appeared to be a rich， complex and substantial novel becomes interesting。 Bill’s decision has implications for his family， for his community。 I couldn’t wait to learn how their lives are all changed by the ripple from this one small event。Instead the book ends！ I was so frustrated。 I had to doublecheck I hadn’t been sent a sample by mistake。I’ve got nothing against novellas。 Some stories aren’t meant to be long。 But this doesn’t have the feel of a novella。 A novella is about one thing， it follows a straight path， and then it’s resolved。 Small Things Like These seems to set up so many strands and then just let them fray。So I don’t know what to say。 I loved it。 I’m furious about it。 I feel as I would if I’d started a really great book， one I couldn’t wait to get back to， and then found I’d left it on a train。 Whether that makes you more or less likely to read it is up to you。I received a copy of Small Things Like These from the publisher via Netgalley。 。。。more
Fernando J。
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📙 Cosas Pequeñas Como Esas: Novela corta de ficción realizada con la inspiración de hechos reales。 Tiene pequeños detalles que la sumergen en nuestra realidad。 Bill Furlong es un padre de una familia compuesta por él， su esposa y cinco hijas。 Vive en un pueblo tradicional irlandés， en 1985。 Es hijo de una madre soltera y de pequeño fue cuidado por una madre sustituta。 Poco a poco comienza a reconstruir su pasado a medida que se acerca la Navidad， mientras reflexiona sobre qué es lo correcto en l 📙 Cosas Pequeñas Como Esas: Novela corta de ficción realizada con la inspiración de hechos reales。 Tiene pequeños detalles que la sumergen en nuestra realidad。 Bill Furlong es un padre de una familia compuesta por él， su esposa y cinco hijas。 Vive en un pueblo tradicional irlandés， en 1985。 Es hijo de una madre soltera y de pequeño fue cuidado por una madre sustituta。 Poco a poco comienza a reconstruir su pasado a medida que se acerca la Navidad， mientras reflexiona sobre qué es lo correcto en la vida。🗣Opinión Personal: La autora nos lleva de la mano por un relato amable y apacible en el que conocemos al protagonista y su entorno， a la vez que utiliza hechos reales sobre la esclavización de jóvenes mujeres y sus hijos en una Lavandería administrada por monjas。 Algo de lo que podría haber sido víctima el mismo protagonista， y que nadie es capaz de denunciar。 Furlong， a la vez， va recopilando detalles perdidos de su pasado y quedan atisbos de un posible futuro， donde se propone a hacer lo correcto， a pesar de lo que pueda pasarle。Me ha gustado bastante， no es una lectura a la que esté acostumbrado， pero me ha sorprendido lo rápido que lo leí。La novela incorpora términos regionales aclarados en pies de notas， datos que suman。 。。。more
Gina Moltz
，
Small Things Like These is a book to remind us how one person doing the right thing can make a difference。 The Catholic Church in Ireland has done some atrocious things to the very people it should have been helping。， Bill Furlong was a simple man who decided he could do something to help at least one of those wronged people。 A sad situation that ultimately gives you hope for humanity。
Kimbofo
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Claire Keegan is a well regarded Irish writer best known for her short stories， which include the collections Antarctica （1999） and Walk the Blue Fields （2007）， and her novella Foster （2010）， which you can read for free on the New Yorker website if you wish to get a feel for her writing。Her latest book， Small Things Like These， is being marketed as a novel， but it’s only 73 pages in length and feels more like an extended short story。 It’s written in Keegan’s typical economical prose， but address Claire Keegan is a well regarded Irish writer best known for her short stories， which include the collections Antarctica （1999） and Walk the Blue Fields （2007）， and her novella Foster （2010）， which you can read for free on the New Yorker website if you wish to get a feel for her writing。Her latest book， Small Things Like These， is being marketed as a novel， but it’s only 73 pages in length and feels more like an extended short story。 It’s written in Keegan’s typical economical prose， but addresses big themes and big emotions。It’s a beautiful portrait of a man carrying out a small act of defiance against the Catholic Church at a time when it controlled almost every facet of Irish life。The story is set in Ireland in 1985， a period of economic deprivation and political instability， when “the young people were emigrating， leaving for London and Boston， New York”。Bill Furlong is a hard-working coal merchant who is married with five young daughters。 But he’s stuck in a rut and is beginning to wonder what his life is all about。 Christmas is approaching and there’s a lot to do to get all his deliveries completed on time。To read the rest of my review， please visit my blog。 。。。more
Sarah
，
Small Things Like These is a poignant and quietly powerful tale of courage， compassion and standing up for what is right， in the face of powerful institutional pressure to turn away。It's the lead-up to Christmas 1985 in the Irish town where Bill Furlong lives with his wife and five daughters。 While many in the community are suffering from the effects of a struggling economy， the Furlong family are comparatively comfortable， thanks to their thriving wood and coal supply business。 Tender-hearted B Small Things Like These is a poignant and quietly powerful tale of courage， compassion and standing up for what is right， in the face of powerful institutional pressure to turn away。It's the lead-up to Christmas 1985 in the Irish town where Bill Furlong lives with his wife and five daughters。 While many in the community are suffering from the effects of a struggling economy， the Furlong family are comparatively comfortable， thanks to their thriving wood and coal supply business。 Tender-hearted Bill often extends charity to those who are struggling to make ends meet， especially with the cold winter closing in。In the course of his work， Bill makes delivery to the local Catholic convent， associated with both a home for single mothers， a commercial laundry and the private school his daughters attend。 On one such visit， he discovers a shivering teenage girl locked within the coal storage hutch。 Bill frees the girl and escorts her to the Convent's Mother Superior， but is troubled by the undercurrents he feels and the girl's entreaties for him to find out what has happened to her baby。 Bill feels echoes from his own personal history， as his own mother found herself "in trouble" when she fell pregnant with him， but was fortunate to be taken in by her employer， Miss Wilson， rather than exiled to the home for single mothers。Despite several warnings he receives from townsfolk， and his own wife's suggestion that he would be wise to turn a blind eye to what goes on at the convent， Bill finds the courage to stand by his moral convictions， despite facing the ire of the all-powerful Catholic church。Exploring the horrifying history of the Magdalen Laundries and other systemic abuses carried out by the Catholic church in Ireland， Claire Keegan weaves a rather beautiful narrative against an ugly and troubling backdrop。 It's an unusual premise for a Christmas fable， but it works。I'd highly recommend Small Things Like These as a short but meaningful read， which will be appreciated by readers who are fascinated by personal stories and thought-provoking scenarios。 I'll be adding a copy to my own small collection of Christmas classics， to be brought out and savoured every year during Advent。 My thanks to the author， Claire Keegan， publisher Faber & Faber Ltd。 and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this exquisitely poignant novella prior to publication。 。。。more
SueLucie
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A slight little thing this， in terms of pages， but it delivers an enormous emotional load。 We see in one good man’s act of conscience an Ireland on the brink of owning its part in an atrocity against its own people， perpetrated by the Catholic Church but abetted by the State and by the apathy and fear of those who turned a blind eye。 Some lovely domestic scenes in Bill’s home and the stalwart， thoughtful， good-hearted character of Bill himself will stay with me。 Before long， he caught a hold of A slight little thing this， in terms of pages， but it delivers an enormous emotional load。 We see in one good man’s act of conscience an Ireland on the brink of owning its part in an atrocity against its own people， perpetrated by the Catholic Church but abetted by the State and by the apathy and fear of those who turned a blind eye。 Some lovely domestic scenes in Bill’s home and the stalwart， thoughtful， good-hearted character of Bill himself will stay with me。 Before long， he caught a hold of himself and concluded that nothing ever did happen again; to each was given days and chances which wouldn't come back around。 And wasn't it sweet to be where you were and let it remind you of the past for once， despite the upset， instead of always looking on into the mechanics of the days and the trouble ahead， which might never come。Highly recommended。With thanks to Faber via NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC。 。。。more
Nic
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Small Things Like These is a stunning novella with a big heart and bigger message。 The beautifully told story of Bill， the owner of a fuel store in rural Ireland。 As he traverses the town delivering coal and logs in the days leading up to Christmas， he considers his history and current life。 Born to an unwed mother who took refuge with a kind local landowner， Bill is now father to 5 daughters。 Grateful for the kindness his mother was shown but still unaware of who is father was， Bill’s rounds ta Small Things Like These is a stunning novella with a big heart and bigger message。 The beautifully told story of Bill， the owner of a fuel store in rural Ireland。 As he traverses the town delivering coal and logs in the days leading up to Christmas， he considers his history and current life。 Born to an unwed mother who took refuge with a kind local landowner， Bill is now father to 5 daughters。 Grateful for the kindness his mother was shown but still unaware of who is father was， Bill’s rounds take him to the local convent。 Drawn by the darkness and rumours of what might go on behind closed doors， Bill unravels a truth that everyone knew and shows the is haunted to do a merciful act of kindness。 Thanks to Faber and Faber and Netgalley for an ARC。 。。。more
Val Robson
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This was a well written short novel based in an Irish town covering the subject of the Magdalene laundries which were essentially workhouses for unmarried mothers where young girls were often punished as well as having their child taken away。 The story is set in 1985 which seems very recent until you realise that these Magdalene laundries were shockingly still in existence until the 1990s。 The main character is Bill Furlong who was himself born to a single mother but was lucky as he and his moth This was a well written short novel based in an Irish town covering the subject of the Magdalene laundries which were essentially workhouses for unmarried mothers where young girls were often punished as well as having their child taken away。 The story is set in 1985 which seems very recent until you realise that these Magdalene laundries were shockingly still in existence until the 1990s。 The main character is Bill Furlong who was himself born to a single mother but was lucky as he and his mother were taken in by a local lady who looked after them well。 Bill is now married with five children but facing a hard winter as the local economy is dire and he is seeing many in desperate poverty unable to afford food or heating。 His business is to supply coal and this brings him to the local convent and laundry where he sees the harsh treatment being dished out to unmarried mothers which sets him thinking about his past and wishing to put right the wrongs of the past and present。 Despite the seemingly sad subject this is a wonderful novella with heart-warming sections when Bill tussles with moral dilemmas and tries to do the right things in the face of adversity and very challenging circumstances。With thanks to NetGalley and Faber and Faber Ltd for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Agos Druetta
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Estoy maravillada con este libro。 Lo leí en unas pocas horas porque no podía dejarlo。 Keegan es una narradora extraordinaria
Róisin （somethingarosie）
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At just 128 pages， this short story packs a punch。 The reader is dropped into the life of Bill Furlong， a coal and timber merchant。 We are given the perfect amount of context to understand his story and the cultural setting in which this story takes place。 Set in 1985 Ireland， this book deals with the complicit silence surrounding the Magdalene Laundries。 It has an unmistakably Irish narrative style， with lots of colloquialisms and turns of phrase。 The conversational tone makes for very easy rea At just 128 pages， this short story packs a punch。 The reader is dropped into the life of Bill Furlong， a coal and timber merchant。 We are given the perfect amount of context to understand his story and the cultural setting in which this story takes place。 Set in 1985 Ireland， this book deals with the complicit silence surrounding the Magdalene Laundries。 It has an unmistakably Irish narrative style， with lots of colloquialisms and turns of phrase。 The conversational tone makes for very easy reading， which I think is necessary in tackling such a harrowing topic。My only critique lies in the fact I wished it had been just a smidge longer。 That is the nature of short stories， they are…short。 However， I would have liked to know a little bit more about what happens to the characters in the end。 Perhaps， the reaction of Furlong’s family？ It just felt unfinished， ever so slightly。That being said， this has been a deeply impactful read and my desire to know more is a testament to Claire Keegan’s writing。 A captivating and poignant story。Thank you NetGalley & Publishers Faber & Faber for my gifted copy。#ADgifted 。。。more
Marsha
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