Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan is a powerful and quietly moving historical fiction novella set in a small Irish town in 1985. The story follows Bill Furlong, a coal and timber merchant preparing for the busy Christmas season. As he goes about his work, encounters from his past and disturbing discoveries surrounding a local convent force him to confront the silence and complicity of the community.
With its spare prose and deeply human storytelling, the novel explores empathy, moral courage, family, faith, social pressure, poverty and institutional power. Keegan creates an intimate portrait of an ordinary man faced with an extraordinary moral choice, making the book both emotionally affecting and thought-provoking.
Key Themes
- Irish historical fiction
- Moral courage
- Empathy and compassion
- Family and community
- Poverty and social inequality
- Religion and institutional power
- Silence and complicity
- Christmas and tradition
- Personal responsibility
- Human dignity
- Small-town life
- 1980s Ireland
Why Read This Book?
Small Things Like These is ideal for readers who enjoy literary fiction, Irish literature, historical fiction and emotionally powerful short novels. Its concise format delivers a deeply layered story about ordinary people, difficult choices and the importance of acting when remaining silent would be easier.
The novel has received significant critical recognition, including the 2022 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
About the Author
Claire Keegan is an acclaimed Irish writer known for her precise, atmospheric prose and powerful short fiction. Her works include Foster, Antarctica and Walk the Blue Fields. Her writing has received numerous literary awards and has been translated into more than 20 languages.
Product Details
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Book Title: Small Things Like These
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Author: Claire Keegan
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Language: English
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Format: Paperback
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Genre: Literary Fiction / Historical Fiction
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Publisher: Faber & Faber
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Publication Date: November 3, 2022
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ISBN-13: 9780571368709
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Pages: 116
The above details correspond to the Faber & Faber English paperback edition. Other English editions, including Grove Press editions, have different ISBNs and page counts.
