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A review by serendipitysbooks
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Small Things Like These was a reread which I enjoyed just as much the second time around. The writing is exquisite and the story has a timeless feel, if anything seeming older than it’s 1980s setting. I really loved Keegan’s explorations of the philosophical questions like “What is our purpose in life?” and “Do we do the right thing even if it is hard and it might cost us and those we love?” A beautiful story formed from a dark episode in Ireland’s history.
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, and Religious bigotry