Scan barcode
A review by riften
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
4.0
Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol for the Victorian zeitgeist and Keegan gifts us this Christmassy novella for our own age of austerity and neoliberalism. Without disparaging its commitment to its historical landscape, the novella feels universally relevant and almost parabolic. The Magdalene Laundries are far from distant history; look to the labour exploitation in refugee camps and prisons today.
Bill Furlong is, to me, a real hero. Maybe because my great grandmother grew up in a workhouse, I feel a familial sort of affection for Bill. Like his story is one that’s been passed down and shared at a family Christmas.
Bill Furlong is, to me, a real hero. Maybe because my great grandmother grew up in a workhouse, I feel a familial sort of affection for Bill. Like his story is one that’s been passed down and shared at a family Christmas.