A review by danaaliyalevinson
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

4.25

Set over the course of a few days in Ireland, a man is forced to confront his own demons when he unwittingly stumbles upon one of Ireland's infamous Magdalene Laundries a few days before Christmas. 

This was a quick little read, just barely over novella length. 
The prose was lofty and beautiful. The characters were packed a big emotional punch. To my only criticism ory the book is that I wished it were *slightly* longer. By the time I felt like it really got going, it was almost done. In an odd way it reminded me of Emily St John Mandel’s “Sea of Tranquility” despite being very different in terms of genre. Something about how lyrical and yet short and sweet it was.

There's also a movie adaptation with Cillian Murphy that just premiered at Berlinale, which looks great. This book is great for anyone looking for a quick yet still deeply emotional read
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