REVIEW: Small Things Like These (Claire Keegan)

Book: Small Things Like These

Author: Claire Keegan

Premise: 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.

This book is about how our decisions affect others, whether that is the decision to speak up or stay silent. It centres around Bill and an interaction with one of the girls at the launderies. He starts to reflect on his own upbringing and question why everyone in the town stays silent on the issue. It's a small book but it stays with you because it's beautifully written.