Scan barcode
A review by book_concierge
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
5.0
Bill Furlong is a coal merchant in an Irish town, and busier than ever as the Christmas season approaches and the weather gets colder. Furlong‘s teenaged mother was a servant at the home of a wealthy widow. When she became pregnant, Mrs Wilson kept her on in her position and encouraged her to keep the child at the manor as well. Now a married man with children of his own, Furlong had a great appreciation for the start he had thanks to the kindness of one person. So, when he discovers something disturbing when he goes to deliver coal at the local convent school, he struggles with whether to intervene, especially given the power the Church wields in this community.
Gosh but Keegan packs a lot into a small volume! There is not a wasted word or extraneous thought. Furlong’s inner struggle is evident in the way he behaves and the things he thinks about as he walks the streets of town on a snowy evening. When he makes his decision, he acts on it, deliberately, quietly, resolutely. He is confident he is in the right, and that gives him some comfort despite the possible (probable) consequences.
Gosh but Keegan packs a lot into a small volume! There is not a wasted word or extraneous thought. Furlong’s inner struggle is evident in the way he behaves and the things he thinks about as he walks the streets of town on a snowy evening. When he makes his decision, he acts on it, deliberately, quietly, resolutely. He is confident he is in the right, and that gives him some comfort despite the possible (probable) consequences.