LoveReading Says
It's 1985 in New Ross in Ireland as we are introduced to Bill Furlong and his family.
Furlong, a coal and timber merchant had come from nothing, when pregnant out of wedlock he and his mother had been taken in by Mrs Wilson the Protestant widow on the edge of town. Now almost 40, married and with five daughters, Bill has done well. He has a good head for business, works hard and has no taste for drink. But he's consumed by his past, he longs to know more about his father, he lies awake at night worrying about the small little things, and the bigger ones. The work, the worry, what he sees every day, what he chooses to ignore, what he can't help but see.
Written in Keegan's simple style of writing, this book is a beauty. Her descriptive way of writing ensures that you can visualise every nook and cranny of the town, every character is in technicolour in spite of the gloom of the tale. Every chipper, dole queue, bingo hall, every clamour round the Rayburn, every visit to the convent, every instance of suffering.
Dedicated to the women and children who suffered time in Ireland's mother and baby homes and Magdalen laundries, this is a haunting tale that I won't forget in a hurry.
Deborah Maclaren
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Small Things Like These Synopsis
A stunning new edition of Claire Keegan's multi-award-winning, bestselling novel Small Things Like These.
SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING CILLIAN MURPHY
A SUNDAY TIMES AND IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER
ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES' '100 Best Books of the 21st Century'
WINNER OF THE ORWELL PRIZE AND THE KERRY GROUP IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD
SHORTLISTED FOR THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE AND THE IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR AT THE DALKEY LITERARY AWARDS
'Exquisite.' Damon Galgut
'Masterly.' The Times
'Miraculous.' Herald
'Astonishing.' Colm Tóibìn
'Stunning.' Sunday Independent
'Absolutely beautiful.' Douglas Stuart
It is 1985, in an Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal and timber merchant, faces into his busiest season. As he does the rounds, he feels the past rising up to meet him - and encounters the complicit silences of a people controlled by the Church.
Claire Keegan's book Small Things Like These was a Sunday Times Bestseller w/c 05-11-2022
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Readers love Small Things Like These:
????? 'Gripping and very moving and thought-provoking ... brilliantly done, but also softly and slowly. You'll never regret reading this book, but it will haunt you for ever after.'
????? 'I haven't loved a book for so long. This has changed it. Every word counted. Moral, heartfelt & a beautiful read.'
????? 'This is a beautifully written story, both simple and profound. Set at Christmas, it is, in essence, an exploration of the best and the worst of what it is to be human. A stunning achievement.'
????? 'A remarkable novel - short, succinct, moving. I read it in one sitting early on a Sunday morning before anybody else was up.'
????? 'This book needs to sit and settle with the reader after it's read. Much lies here within what seems a simple tale. It strikes to the heart.'
About This Edition
ISBN: |
9780571392605 |
Publication date: |
10th October 2024 |
Author: |
Claire Keegan |
Publisher: |
Faber & Faber |
Format: |
Hardback |
Pagination: |
128 pages |
Primary Genre |
Historical Fiction
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Other Genres: |
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Recommendations: |
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