9780571368686 Small Things Keegan

“Small Things like These” by Claire Keegan

The much praised new book by Claire Keegan, an Irish writer well known for her short stories, who has in this compact novella produced something very befitting the title.

It is Christmas 1985 in a small Irish town, Bill Furlong the local coal and timber merchant is busy. Times are hard, the Irish economy suffering, and it is a cold December.

The story is in many ways a memorial to the thousands of unmarried mothers that were maltreated by the Irish church which was, apparently, condoned by the Irish Government.

Bill himself is the son of a single young woman who was lucky enough to avoid the laundry system into which many were processed. His mother worked for a widow, Mrs. Wilson, who kept her on and provided a roof over their heads and in many ways adopted Bill helping him make something out of his life. He is happily married, has five daughters and a steady business only threatened by customers asking for extended credit.

A trip to deliver fuel to the local convent ahead of the holiday unsettles Bill, and whilst the family are preparing for the festivities his discovery disturbs his thoughts.

Compactly written, this novella, which was featured on BBC2 in “Between the covers” in late 2021, and liked by all the reviewers deserves the praise it has received. It is very well written, but probably the reason why it should be widely read is the raw facts of the story itself, and how poorly unmarried mothers were routinely used and abused in Ireland.