The more I read recommendations from people I trust, the more I fall in love with the power of literature, especially that from nations with such rich histories. Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These is only one such example, but it is a truly astonishing one at that. Both heartfelt and harrowing, this tale brings historical fact to life and gives it a chance to be remembered in the hearts of so many, not swept under the rug like it never happened. I wasn’t planning on posting this review as part of Spooktober, but I can’t stop thinking about it – it truly has been haunting me since I read it.

It is 1985 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. Already an international bestseller, Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers.

There are so many stories out there that grip your heart and keep it in a chokehold until the very end, and Small Things Like These is one of those books. There is not a single line out of place, no unintentional detail or added flair for theatrics. It is a raw, stark, and eye-opening novel that highlights a period of Irish history that is profoundly upsetting, not just in terms of ‘horrors’ but the everyday life of so many. The realities are plain to see, the duelling emotions of the main character relatable and authentic in their moral dilemma, and overall it paints a grim image that cannot be ignored.

The writing itself is stunning, and it amazes me how simple yet delibrate word choices and recurring images can frame a novel in such a powerful and memorable way. I wasn’t intending to read Small Things Like These when I did, but as soon as I started I could not stop. The chapters flowed, the prose sang and cried, and before I knew it, I was closing the back cover and left thinking about it all. Literary fiction readers will lap this up, historical fiction readers will be satiated, and the ordinary reader will be left mesmerised and forever changed.

Small Things Like These may be a little book, but it is mighty and will pack a punch you cannot prepare for. Even knowing of the subject is not enough to brace yourself, in fact, I fear you will find yourself desperate to read more. Not only more work of a similar vein, but more of Claire Keegan’s work – I know I sure am, on both accounts. Claire Keegan may have just become a favourite of mine, and with a backlog of work to keep me busy, I am sure you will be seeing more of her on this blog in the near future. Though this book may seem like it doesn’t fit in with my other reads for the month, I can assure you, Small Things Like These will stand over you like a spectre for the rest of the month, making sure you do not forget it at all.