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A review by serenityofbooks
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
5.0
I recently saw Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan featured in the AWW 2022 Christmas Books Guide and to be honest, I’m not really sure what drew me to pick it up based on their short review. Not that it was negative in any way – it was described as “surprising and beautiful” but when I decided to download on the weekend, I was totally unaware it was a novella (it’s only 124 pages) and that it’s set during Christmas which was a nice touch to read at this time of year.
The Goodread synopsis describes the books plot; “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.”
Such a simple story but with much depth and so beautifully written, Irish author Claire Keegan has crafted something special in such a short number of pages. I adored it – I found it engaging and thought provoking. I was not surprised to see it was shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize and thought it was perfectly described on their website as a “…a tender tale of hope and quiet heroism is both a celebration of compassion and a stern rebuke of the sins committed in the name of religion.”
Highly recommend this beautiful book to anyone that wants a bit of a different Christmas read.
The Goodread synopsis describes the books plot; “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.”
Such a simple story but with much depth and so beautifully written, Irish author Claire Keegan has crafted something special in such a short number of pages. I adored it – I found it engaging and thought provoking. I was not surprised to see it was shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize and thought it was perfectly described on their website as a “…a tender tale of hope and quiet heroism is both a celebration of compassion and a stern rebuke of the sins committed in the name of religion.”
Highly recommend this beautiful book to anyone that wants a bit of a different Christmas read.