Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. New York:Grove Press, 2021. 118 pages . ****
It is 1985 in the small Irish town of New Ross. The weather is changing and the winds are picking up and the townspeople are reminded that winter is coming with Christmas not far behind. It is the busiest time of the year for Bill Furlong, the coal and timber merchant. While delivering coal to the local convent, Bill encounters a young woman locked in a coal house, no food, no water, no toilet, no heat. One of her first questions is to ask him to take her away so she can drown and where is her baby? Looking at her filth while questioning what he sees and knows, haunts Bill. He reminisces about his childhood with his single mother and not knowing his father. When does one step up or look the other way?
Honestly, I picked up this book because the author's name was "Keegan" and that is one of my ancestor's names. This Novella of 114 pages packs a punch. How could this have happened in 1985? Keegan in her quiet style brings forth an understated horrific time in the misogynistic Irish Catholic Church. Bill knows that the choice he makes will have consequences for him and his family. Does he have a choice?
Recommended for Book Clubs with many points for discussion.
Claire Keegan was raised on a farm in Ireland. Her stories have won numerous awards and translated into thirty languages. In the interview, Keegan remarked that she made the story and the characters up - she didn't interview coal merchants, etc.
"One of the New York Times' 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.
For more info:
I highly recommend this interview with the author - An Oprah Book Club Choice
"Your feet never lie."
Justice for Magdalenes Research
How Ireland turned Fallen Women into Slaves
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