Small Things Like These
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- Create Date：2021-11-19 10:15:58
- Update Date：2025-09-24
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- Author：Claire Keegan
- ISBN：0571368689
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Summary
This is a tale of courage and compassion， of good sons and vulnerable young mothers。 Absolutely beautiful。' -Douglas Stuart， author of SHUGGIE BAIN （Winner of the Booker Prize 2020） It is 1985， in an Irish town。 During the weeks leading up to Christmas， Bill Furlong， a coal and timber merchant， faces into his busiest season。 As he does the rounds， he feels the past rising up to meet him - and encounters the complicit silences of a people controlled by the Church。 The long-awaited new work from the author of Foster， Small Things Like These is an unforgettable story of hope， quiet heroism and tenderness。 '[Claire Keegan] creates luminous effects with spare material， so every line seems to be a lesson in the perfect deployment of both style and emotion。' Hilary Mantel
Reviews
Stephanie Crowe
，
A lovely Irish Christmas story！
William Falo
，
What an amazing Irish novella。 This is a beautiful， heartbreaking story that should be an inspiration to everyone。 I would love to have a sequel of some kind。 The characters were so wonderfully created and I came to care about them so much。 All of this is accomplished in 128 pages。 One of my all-time favorites now。
Kathleen Gray
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What a gem。 This novella is precise and lyrical at the same time。 It's Christmas 1985 and Bill Furlong， who was raised by his single mom in the Wilson home with Mrs。 Wilson and Ned， is now a respected man with a wife and five daughters of his own。 A chance encounter at the local convent leads to a revelation about his own life and a determination to make change。 I loved this for the imagery- of Eileen making Christmas cake with the girls， of Bill making his deliveries， and most of all of the you What a gem。 This novella is precise and lyrical at the same time。 It's Christmas 1985 and Bill Furlong， who was raised by his single mom in the Wilson home with Mrs。 Wilson and Ned， is now a respected man with a wife and five daughters of his own。 A chance encounter at the local convent leads to a revelation about his own life and a determination to make change。 I loved this for the imagery- of Eileen making Christmas cake with the girls， of Bill making his deliveries， and most of all of the young girl he finds。 Keegan manages to convey so much here and while I wished this was longer， it's actually the perfect length。 You can read this in a few hours and feel satisfied。 And， it will linger。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 Wonderful read。 。。。more
Tina
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SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE by Claire Keegan is an excellent novella！ Set in 1985 Ireland during the weeks leading up to Christmas， Bill Furlong， a coal merchant， husband and father of five uncovers something that forces him to make a big decision。 I found the writing fully immersive to take me into Bill’s world。 This book fictionalizes the girls and women forced into labour at Ireland’s Magdalen laundries which is truly heartbreaking but this story is full of hope。 I loved the strong themes of fami SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE by Claire Keegan is an excellent novella！ Set in 1985 Ireland during the weeks leading up to Christmas， Bill Furlong， a coal merchant， husband and father of five uncovers something that forces him to make a big decision。 I found the writing fully immersive to take me into Bill’s world。 This book fictionalizes the girls and women forced into labour at Ireland’s Magdalen laundries which is truly heartbreaking but this story is full of hope。 I loved the strong themes of family values， morality， and compassion。 This is the perfect book to read this winter！。Thank you to PGC Books for my gifted review copy！ 。。。more
Helen
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A little gem。 In a simple almost like a short story Clare describes the day to day business of small town life 。 Behind the appearance of normality a terrible scandal occurs 。 The locals lived out their daily lives unaware of what was going on in the building next door to the secondary school。 The novel explores the scandal in this institution where young girls and their babies were treated so inhumanly by Catholic nuns 。
Eleanor
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A magnificent writer。 The stories of the mother and baby homes is such a shameful part of our past， this telling is so very eloquent and beautiful。
Michael Travis
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I loved everything about this book starting with the size， the cover， the inviting feel that it has。 Claire Keegan has a way with words that hit me immediately in the first paragraph。 Words that were so vivid， so clear， creating an image immediately in my mind。。。that I could feel。"。。。and the long November winds came in and blew， and stripped the trees bare。 In the town of New Ross， chimneys threw out smoke which fell away and drifted off in hairy， drawn-out strings before dispersing along the qu I loved everything about this book starting with the size， the cover， the inviting feel that it has。 Claire Keegan has a way with words that hit me immediately in the first paragraph。 Words that were so vivid， so clear， creating an image immediately in my mind。。。that I could feel。"。。。and the long November winds came in and blew， and stripped the trees bare。 In the town of New Ross， chimneys threw out smoke which fell away and drifted off in hairy， drawn-out strings before dispersing along the quays， and soon the River Barrow， dark as STOUT， swelled up with rain。" 。。。more
Padraig Reid
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Interesting book。 Main character was well formed。 Only issue for me was that the dialogue seemed to be from a much earlier time in that old-fashioned irish country style。 Nonetheless definitely worth reading。
Mitch Karunaratne
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A novelette which is sparse and plainly written - which creates such an evocative and precise moment in time and place。 Every word on the page is important， but seems effortless。 The characters and streets we met here， in 1985 Ireland， will stay with me for a long time - I don't know how Keegan did it in such few words！ A novelette which is sparse and plainly written - which creates such an evocative and precise moment in time and place。 Every word on the page is important， but seems effortless。 The characters and streets we met here， in 1985 Ireland， will stay with me for a long time - I don't know how Keegan did it in such few words！ 。。。more
Angus
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A gem of a book that will sit with you long after you finish reading
Cori
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A short atmospheric story filled with inspiring good will that is perfect reading for the holiday season。 Keegan creates a modern parable set in 1980’s Ireland that reminds us of our responsibility to address wrongs instead of turning away in discomfort or conflict avoidance。 Bill Furlong fears the repercussions of standing up to the wrongdoings of a powerful entity in his small town， yet his compassion and conscience ultimately guide his decisions。 I am quite proud of my Irish heritage， but I a A short atmospheric story filled with inspiring good will that is perfect reading for the holiday season。 Keegan creates a modern parable set in 1980’s Ireland that reminds us of our responsibility to address wrongs instead of turning away in discomfort or conflict avoidance。 Bill Furlong fears the repercussions of standing up to the wrongdoings of a powerful entity in his small town， yet his compassion and conscience ultimately guide his decisions。 I am quite proud of my Irish heritage， but I am also thankful for having a piece of not so lovely Irish history brought to my attention。 。。。more
Mary Crawford
，
It’s coming up to Christmas in 1985 and Bill is making sure that all his orders for coal and timber are being fulfilled。 This novella shares what life is like in Ireland for a man who does his best to live a good life despite economic and social pressures。 This good man does not keep silent and as we journey with him through one of the most despicable episodes in Irish life we are left with hope and a belief that we all can do better。 Bill’s soul shines through in every page。
Martha Hudson
，
Beautifully written， this novella speaks volumes in a quiet， understated kind of way but the reader is left in no doubt as to the huge power behind those words。 The story is set in 1985， but I had to remind mysefl of that on occasion， some of the attitudes could have come from years earlier。 The main character， Bill Furlong， is wonderfully drawn we can all hope there are more like him in the real world。 This was the overarching message of this marvellous book， there is always hope。 Just read it。
Josephine
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So short ， but as usual。 Beautifully written and heartfelt。
Catherine
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A short， tender novel set in 1980s Ireland。 It is almost Christmas， the cold nights are drawing in and another year of hard work is almost done。 While most people are looking forward to a well deserved rest。 however， William - or Furlong， as he is generally referred to - has more existential thoughts on his mind。 Is this it， this repetitive life of grinding toil， putting one automatic foot in front of the other as he delivers timber and coal to the town's mostly grateful inhabitants？ His wife ce A short， tender novel set in 1980s Ireland。 It is almost Christmas， the cold nights are drawing in and another year of hard work is almost done。 While most people are looking forward to a well deserved rest。 however， William - or Furlong， as he is generally referred to - has more existential thoughts on his mind。 Is this it， this repetitive life of grinding toil， putting one automatic foot in front of the other as he delivers timber and coal to the town's mostly grateful inhabitants？ His wife certainly thinks it is， and his daughters seem happy enough。 There are folk much worse off than them， he is reminded， and it doesn't do to question too much。 Eileen is hoping for a new handbag and matching shoes， and their girls have been primed on precisely how much they might request in their letters to Santa。 But as he completes the last rounds of the year， Furlong reflects on his childhood， his ignoble and potentially doomed start and the small risks that were taken to help him。 And when he encounters someone less fortunate than he now is， he decides that he too must do something， however minor。 A warm， beautiful story about goodness， and finding the strength to raise your head above the parapet。 。。。more
Sharon Metcalf
，
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan is described by the publisher as " A story about family and love， set in a small town in Ireland， it has at its heart a good man， Bill Furlong， father of five girls， who， when faced with a difficult choice， must try to do the right thing。I could not have described it better myself。 Bill， more commonly known as Furlong， is a timber and coal merchant busily trying to fill all his orders in the pre Christmas rush。 In almost no time readers get the sens Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan is described by the publisher as " A story about family and love， set in a small town in Ireland， it has at its heart a good man， Bill Furlong， father of five girls， who， when faced with a difficult choice， must try to do the right thing。I could not have described it better myself。 Bill， more commonly known as Furlong， is a timber and coal merchant busily trying to fill all his orders in the pre Christmas rush。 In almost no time readers get the sense of his goodness， of the love he has for his wife and daughters。 He's a hard working man who seems to be spending much of his time mulling over his memories of growing up。 He was raised without a father but he and his mother had been taken in and looked after by Mrs Wilson a wealthy lady who cared for， and helped raise him to be the man he is today。 Perhaps because of his own history he was less able to turn a blind eye to the goings on at the convent， to the treatment of the young girls incarcerated there。This book though fiction was inspired by the many stories and haunting statistics surrounding the Magdalen Laundries。 What surprised me most was the way the villagers would gossip about what they suspected was happening but none seemed willing to intervene。 Even Bill's own wife did not want to risk the business they received from the convent by questioning what was clearly happening。 The story raised all kinds of questions in my mind about the lack of morals and， it seemed to me， the hypocrisy of the church。 This book was set in the 80's but the last of the Magdalen Laundries was closed in 1996 and an apology eventually issued in 2013 to the many thousands of young girls and the babies that were stolen。It was a very short book， easy to read and though the story itself only hinted at the situation it brought the Magsalen Laundries to mind。 My thanks to Grove Atlantic and Netgalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review which it was my pleasure to provide。3。5 stars on Goodreads 。。。more
Mandy
，
A small perfect gem of a novella， a whole world distilled into just a few pages， compact， understated but so powerful， with not a word wasted and every word precisely and carefully chosen。 Claire Keegan is a wonderful writer and this is a wonderful book。 It’s set in a small unnamed Irish town in 1985。 Bill Furlong is a coal and timber merchant and is making his pre-Christmas deliveries when he comes across a young woman， Sarah， locked in the coal shed of the local Catholic convent。 She’s been th A small perfect gem of a novella， a whole world distilled into just a few pages， compact， understated but so powerful， with not a word wasted and every word precisely and carefully chosen。 Claire Keegan is a wonderful writer and this is a wonderful book。 It’s set in a small unnamed Irish town in 1985。 Bill Furlong is a coal and timber merchant and is making his pre-Christmas deliveries when he comes across a young woman， Sarah， locked in the coal shed of the local Catholic convent。 She’s been there all night， presumably as a punishment， and she is cold， hungry and asking for her baby。 It becomes clear that the nuns run one of Ireland’s infamous Magdalene laundries。 Bill is a good man， a hard-working family man， the moral heart of the story， and he wants to do the right thing。 He must choose between remaining complicit in the cruelty that the whole town is aware of but chooses to ignore， or to follow his conscience， which could have far-reaching consequences for his family。 Keegan’s restraint in her narrative only amplifies Bill’s dilemma。 The book is at once a compelling and moving tale and an indictment of the Catholic Church’s heartlessness in its treatment of these young women。 A must read。 。。。more
Dem
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Bill Furlong is to Small Things Like These as Maurice Harrington is to When All Is Said。 It is 1985， in an Irish town。 During the weeks leading up to Christmas， Bill Furlong， a coal and timber merchant， faces into his busiest season。 As he does the rounds， he feels the past rising up to meet him - and encounters the complicit silences of a people controlled by the Church。 This is my second novel by Claire Keegan having read and loved Foster back a few years ago。 I was captivated by her charact Bill Furlong is to Small Things Like These as Maurice Harrington is to When All Is Said。 It is 1985， in an Irish town。 During the weeks leading up to Christmas， Bill Furlong， a coal and timber merchant， faces into his busiest season。 As he does the rounds， he feels the past rising up to meet him - and encounters the complicit silences of a people controlled by the Church。 This is my second novel by Claire Keegan having read and loved Foster back a few years ago。 I was captivated by her characters and imagery in this story。 It’s just beautifully written and exposes a harsh but realistic Ireland of the mid 1980s。 There is such a rich sense of time and place in this story and you want to savor each and every word。 It’s a small novella with just 128 pages but not a word is wasted。 I feel the least said about this one the better。 This is the perfect novel to read by a cozy fire and can be done in one sitting。 I listened to this one on audio but I immediately purchased a hard copy for my real life book shelf。 A beautiful book that I will remember many years from now。 This would make a great bookclub read。 。。。more
Ellen
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Simple stunning。 A vibrant 5-star read。 Wish it were longer。
Nicola Pierce
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My first Claire Keegan novel and I loved it。 A heart-breaking story beautifully told， hugely atmospheric， and leaves the reader wishing to know more。 Now， I must confess to finding the dialogue between Furlong and his wife slightly 'over Irish' and it was easy to forget that this was set in 1985。 However， the beauty of the writing， and the compassion shown， far outweighed any perceived annoyances on my part。 Read it in one sitting and will probably be reading it again and again。 My first Claire Keegan novel and I loved it。 A heart-breaking story beautifully told， hugely atmospheric， and leaves the reader wishing to know more。 Now， I must confess to finding the dialogue between Furlong and his wife slightly 'over Irish' and it was easy to forget that this was set in 1985。 However， the beauty of the writing， and the compassion shown， far outweighed any perceived annoyances on my part。 Read it in one sitting and will probably be reading it again and again。 。。。more
dahlia
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another irish trauma novel
jean
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A small but perfect book， holding out the possibility that one person's actions against injustice and pain can make a difference。 A message of hope and quiet courage in a dark world。Thank you to netgalley and Grove Atlantic for an advance copy of this book A small but perfect book， holding out the possibility that one person's actions against injustice and pain can make a difference。 A message of hope and quiet courage in a dark world。Thank you to netgalley and Grove Atlantic for an advance copy of this book 。。。more
Mairead Hearne （swirlandthread。com）
，
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan was published October 21st with Faber & Faber and is described as ‘an unforgettable story of hope， quiet heroism and tenderness。’ For any of you who have not heard of Small Things Like These yet， let me just fill you in on just some of the amazing accolades it is receiving…。‘A single one of Keegan’s grounded， powerful sentences can contain volumes of social history。 Every word is the right word in the right place， and the effect is resonant and deeply mov Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan was published October 21st with Faber & Faber and is described as ‘an unforgettable story of hope， quiet heroism and tenderness。’ For any of you who have not heard of Small Things Like These yet， let me just fill you in on just some of the amazing accolades it is receiving…。‘A single one of Keegan’s grounded， powerful sentences can contain volumes of social history。 Every word is the right word in the right place， and the effect is resonant and deeply moving。’ - Hilary Mantel‘This is a tale of courage and compassion， of good sons and vulnerable young mothers。 Absolutely beautiful。’ - Douglas Stuart‘Marvellous—exact and icy and loving all at once。’ - Sarah Moss‘A haunting， hopeful masterpiece。’ - Sinéad GleesonIt was on Twitter that I first became aware of this little wonder of a book that has very much been gaining momentum。 After a few not so subtle hints， I received a beautiful hardback copy as a gift earlier this week and quite simply devoured it in one single sitting。Small Things Like These is set in New Ross， Co。 Wexford on the South East coast of Ireland。 It is the winter of 1985 and coal merchant Bill Furlong is pulling together his orders， preparing for the cold days ahead。 Bill lives with his wife Eileen and his five young daughters， providing for the family by working long and tough hours。 On his route he meets folk from all backgrounds， some more dependent than others on his generosity， when he extends their payment terms。Bill’s background is complicated， different from others in the parish， but he has managed to move on and accept his life。 He now has a new family and a home that he has worked hard for。 As the Christmas preparations get under way， Bill encounters a situation that causes him to stop and think about his life and the path that he is currently on。 He starts to ask questions and recognises that something in his daily ritual needs to change。Bill gets up early every morning， works incredibly long hours， comes home， has his dinner and， more often than not， falls asleep， only to start the same thing all over again the following day。 He chats about the small things with his wife and， to a point， is content。 Yet there is something niggling him， something that is unsettling him and throwing a curve ball into his usual Christmas routine。At just over 100 pages Claire Keegan has so eloquently captured the essence of Christmas in an Irish home in the 1980s。 In 1985 I was fifteen and reading the Christmas scenes brought me right back to when my own mother would make the Christmas cake。 Always iced first with the almond icing， the cake was then topped with white icing， made to resemble peaked snow， and finished off with a plastic Santa in the middle。 The smell of the cake cooking， the aroma of the mince pies on the cooling tray， the fire lighting and the Christmas lights in town were all very strong memories， creating wonderful images in my mind。 For that alone， I thank Claire Keegan。Amidst the scents and chaos of the Christmas preparation， Bill Furlong is exposed to a very different side of humanity when he crosses the gates to deliver coal to the local convent， and Magdalene Laundry， near where he lives。 Many of us are familiar with the expression ‘there but for the Grace of God go I’ and Bill experiences this on a bitter Winter’s day。 Bill is a decent， honest and hard-working man but that December day he witnesses something that pricks at his social conscience and triggers change。‘When he let down the tail board and went to open the coal house door， the bolt was stiff with frost， and he had to ask himself if he had not turned into a man consigned to doorways， for did he not spend the best part of his life standing outside of one or another， waiting for them to be opened。 As soon as he forced this bolt， he sensed something within…’Small Things Like These truly is an exceptional and compelling read。 It may be small and compact but Claire Keegan’s words are concise and dynamic。 This is the novel stripped back。 There is no unnecessary padding， no over-descriptive paragraphs， just a remarkable tale told with an elegant hand and with succinct and beautiful prose。 Highlighting terrible times in Irish history， Small Things Like These is a book that really does punch above its size。Compassionate， powerful and nostalgic Small Things Like These is an exceptional read and one that I highly recommend。 。。。more
Caoilinn
，
SUBLIME。 More later， in advance of interviewing the author via Chicago bookshop， Exile in Bookville， on December 1st。 Will post a link once the event page is live。
Natasha
，
A beautiful gem of a book and the writing was superb！ Makes me want to pick it up and read it again straight away 🥰
Jeatherhane Reads
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Small Things Like These is exactly what I look for in fiction – it pulls me in to the world created and I forget that I’m reading a book。 Bill Furlong lives in 1980s rural Ireland with his wife and five daughters， where he goes about his business in much the same way every day。 The beginning of the story has a very homey feel because of the daily rituals， and because the story is set around Christmas， the seasonal traditions gave me a feeling of nostalgia。Bill has some ghosts in his closet from Small Things Like These is exactly what I look for in fiction – it pulls me in to the world created and I forget that I’m reading a book。 Bill Furlong lives in 1980s rural Ireland with his wife and five daughters， where he goes about his business in much the same way every day。 The beginning of the story has a very homey feel because of the daily rituals， and because the story is set around Christmas， the seasonal traditions gave me a feeling of nostalgia。Bill has some ghosts in his closet from the past， and this adds an interesting dimension to his character。 He also comes face to face with a moral crisis， and here the story takes a heartbreaking turn。 I discovered after finishing the short novel that this is based on true events in Ireland’s history。 The author did a masterful job of creating an authentic fictional story around a historical tragedy。 The Note on the Text at the end of the book puts the story in context。I adore Claire Keegan’s writing style。 I believe this is her first novel， and I will eagerly look for her next。 Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this book。 。。。more
Evelyn
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This is a short novel that grapples with the banality of evil。 It presents itself in the form of Ireland’s Magdalen laundry operated by Catholic nuns that imprisoned and punished young women who were deemed to be wayward due to their poverty， promiscuity or giving birth to an out of wedlock baby。 The nuns mistreatment of their charges was ignored by Irish citizens due to the control that the Church had over the Irish government， politics， society， and the economy。 The story tells the tale of one This is a short novel that grapples with the banality of evil。 It presents itself in the form of Ireland’s Magdalen laundry operated by Catholic nuns that imprisoned and punished young women who were deemed to be wayward due to their poverty， promiscuity or giving birth to an out of wedlock baby。 The nuns mistreatment of their charges was ignored by Irish citizens due to the control that the Church had over the Irish government， politics， society， and the economy。 The story tells the tale of one man who in an act of conscience defies his wife， and local society to aid a victim of the Magdalen laundry in the midst of an economic depression despite the threat posed by his act of defiance of the nuns to his family， and their social standing and economic well-being。 This is a tale that holds the reader’s interest from its start until its conclusion。 。。。more
Nancy Mijangos
，
I received an ARC of this novella from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 A man born out of wedlock is faced with a dilemma when he comes into contact with a woman who causes him to ponder what life could have been like for his late mother。
Dave
，
This short novella packs a powerful punch reminiscent of “A Christmas Carol” which is even mentioned more than once to help provide a hint。 It’s the story of Bill Furlong， a business man who is doing well for himself， his wife， and five daughters， but has a back story that helps create the empathy that drives the narrative。 I would definitely recommend this one， especially around the holiday season and thank you to the publisher for providing me with this drc available through edelweiss。
Will Byrnes
，
It was a December of crows。 People had never seen the likes of them， gathering in black batches on the outskirts of town then coming in， walking the streets， cocking their heads and perching， impudently， on whatever lookout post that took their fancy， scavenging for what was dead， or diving in mischief for anything that looked edible along the roads before roosting at night in the huge old trees around the convent。 The convent was a powerful-looking place on the hill at the far side of the ri It was a December of crows。 People had never seen the likes of them， gathering in black batches on the outskirts of town then coming in， walking the streets， cocking their heads and perching， impudently， on whatever lookout post that took their fancy， scavenging for what was dead， or diving in mischief for anything that looked edible along the roads before roosting at night in the huge old trees around the convent。 The convent was a powerful-looking place on the hill at the far side of the river with black， wide-open gates， and a host of tall， shining windows， facing the town。 Bill Furlong is a decent man， risen from a lowly station in life to being a respected pillar-of-the-community sort。 Not well off， mind， but a coal and wood supplier who keeps several folks employed， his customers supplied， and his family fed， a George Bailey sort， but from a much less settled foundation。 There is never much left over， and always a new cost looming on the horizon。 In the course of making his rounds he sees something that presents a powerful moral challenge。 The story is Furlong’s struggle to decide， stay silent， or do something。 Claire Keegan – image from her FB page – shot by Cartier-Bresson1985 is a grim time in New Ross。 Ireland is in the midst of a long recession。 Despairing of ever finding work， people are emigrating in droves， to England， to America， to wherever work can be had。 Those who remain hold little hope for any near relief。 Those with work know that they could be laid off in a heartbeat。 Those running businesses know that their continued survival depends on the continued demand of their customers， and the customers’ ability to pay。 Those without work drain their savings， survive on the dole， or what charity they can find。 Too many， employed or not， drown their fears in drink。 Keegan captures the bleak tone of the time。 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 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 has seen a young schoolboy eating from a chip bag that had been thrown down on the street the night before Christmas is coming， and one might wonder if that starving boy was a descendant of Tiny Tim’s。 Keegan even summons A Christmas Carol to mind， noting that， as a boy， Furlong had received the book for Christmas。He had had a difficult start to life， raised by a single mother， his father not known to him。 Luckily for them， a well-to-do local woman， Mrs Wilson， took in mother and son， employing mom to work in the house。 Things could have been a lot worse。 Like many other nations， Ireland was host to a network of Magdalene Laundries。 These were institutions run by the Catholic Church， with the complicity of the Irish government。 Young women who became pregnant were often cast out of their communities， their families even， and these enterprises took them in。 Reports eventually emerged revealing the abuses these girls and young women endured， often being forced to give away their babies， living in degrading conditions， essentially forced laborers in church-state workhouses。 Thousands of infants died there， and many of their mothers as well。 New Ross was one of the places where a Magdalene laundry was run。 It is one of the reasons Keegan chose to set her story there。 This is not a tale about these laundries， per se， but one of those constitutes the immediate and very considerable dark force that Bill Furlong is thinking about taking on。 While delivering coal to the convent， he sees something he was not supposed to see。 To act or not to act， that is the question。 Why were the things that were closest so often the hardest to see？ The language of this novel， the imagery is powerfully effective， celestial even。 I felt a need to read a lot of this book out loud。 （trying to avoid spoiling it with my terribly fake Irish accent） There is a rhythm， a musicality to the writing that propels its powerful imagery towards the intended targets。 The passage quoted at the top of this review offers a sense not only of a grim time and place， but of the hostile force of the nuns， priests， and the Church， as embodied by the crows。 The state， participant in the Magdalene miseries， is given passing notice when a local pol parachutes into town for a Christmas-tree-lighting， if it is possible to parachute in while riding a Mercedes and wearing a rich man’s coat。 This is a town that is not being well looked after by the authorities。 When she was 17， she went to New Orleans。 “I got an opportunity to go and stay with a family there， and then I wound up going to university。 A double major in political science and English literature。”She remembers well what Ireland was like the year she left。“I really wanted to get out。 It was 1986。 Ann Lovett had just died。 I felt the darkness that is in Small Things Like These。 I felt that atmosphere of unemployment， and being trapped maybe。 And things not looking so good for women。"My parents used to go dancing， and I used go with them， down to the pub。 I remember everybody getting really drunk at the bar on a Sunday night。"I remember looking at all the men at the bar – it was pretty much all men at the bar – and they were getting drunk and saying they couldn’t bear the thought of going back to work in the morning。 And then others would say they didn’t have any work in the morning。 - from the Independent interview When she returned home with her degree， Keegan sent out 300 resumes and did not get a nibble。 Erin go Bragh。The harsh times have not driven from people in New Ross the ability to want things， needed or not。 Furlong’s wife， Eileen， wants a proper， going-away vacation， as well as some nice things seen in a shop window。 His children have small， mostly manageable desires。 The people in town want an end to economic doldrums， some reason to stay around instead of emigrating。 The residents of the convent want something more significant。 Furlong is in dire need of a new truck to replace the one his business relies on， and which is nearing its last gasp。 He also wants to know who his father was。 Of late， he was inclined to imagine another life， elsewhere， and wondered if this was not something in his blood; might his own father not have been one of those who had upped， suddenly， and taken the boat for England。 He is no saint， but workaholic Furlong has that rare capacity to look inside himself critically， consider his life， his actions， in light of his values， even recognize where he might have stepped away from the moral line he believes in following。 He had opted to ignore wrongs he had seen before， but for this father of five girls， and son of a single mother， this is a tough one to let pass。 However， there are powerful， and insidious forces arrayed against his better angels。 He is repeatedly warned， when he mentions his concerns， that crossing the Church could be extremely costly。The cold of the season will make you shiver and want to add another layer as you read。 Some Irish coffee might help as well。 Will Furlong cross that bridge and do something or let what he knows sink into nothingness in the dark， frigid waters of the Barrow River below？ You will want to know， and will read on until you do。 Keegan is mostly known as a short-story writer。 She has won many awards for her work， which is marked by compactness， showing what needs to be shown to tell her tale。 Do not dismiss this novel for its brevity。 Small Things Like These is huge！ You may not need to prepare a manger with fresh hay， but I would definitely make room for this novel in your collection this holiday season。 It is an evocative， beautiful， moving novel that deserves to become a Christmas classic。 As they carried on along and met more people Furlong did and did not know， he found himself asking was there any point in being alive without helping one another？ Was it possible to carry on along through all the years， the decades， through an entire life， without once being brave enough to go against what was there and yet call yourself a Christian， and face yourself in the mirror？ Review posted – November 12， 2021Publication date – November 30， 2021I received an e-ARE of Small Things Like These from Grove Press in return for a fair review， and a few lumps of coal。 Thanks， folks， and thanks to Netgalley for facilitating。 Bless you， every one。 This review has been cross-posted on my site， Coot’s Reviews =============================EXTRA STUFFLinks to Keegan’s personal， FB， and Twitter pagesOn her personal site， there are links to， among other things， two of her short stories， in the Links tab。Interviews-----The Guardian - Claire Keegan: 'Short stories are limited。 I'm cornered into writing what I can' by Sean O’Hagan - 2010-----New Ross Standard - Claire’s novel examines cult of silence in 1980s New Ross by Simon Bourke – April 2021-----Claire Keegan: ‘I think something needs to be as long as it needs to be’ by Claire Armistead-----Independent。ie - Writer Claire Keegan: ‘I think stories go looking for their authors’ by Emily Hourican-----The Writing Life - Claire Keegan and the art of subtraction by Terence Patrick Winch – video – 28:29 – from 2013 – re her short storiesItems of Interest from the author-----The New Yorker - Foster - this is an abridged version of her award winning story -----Hollihoux – a reading of Foster by Evanna LynchItems of Interest-----The Charles Dickens page - A Christmas Carol - the full text-----BBC - Irish mother and baby homes: Timeline of controversy-----Wiki about The 2005 Ferns Report on sexual abuse of children by priests in the Diocese of Ferns-----The actual report-----Wiki on the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland-----Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee to establish the facts of State involvement with the Magdalen Laundries-----George Bailey-----Ann Lovett 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Small Things Like These
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Small Things Like These&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft