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Summary

 THE NEW NOVEL FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF FOSTER, ANTARCTICA AND WALK THE BLUE FIELDS  

 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.  

The long-awaited new work from the author of Foster, Small Things Like These is an unforgettable story of hope, quiet heroism and tenderness.

©2022 Claire Keegan (P)2022 Faber & Faber

Critic reviews

'Marvellous-exact and icy and loving all at once.' -Sarah Moss 'A haunting, hopeful masterpiece.' -Sinéad Gleeson

'This is a tale of courage and compassion, of good sons and vulnerable young mothers. Absolutely beautiful.' -Douglas Stuart (Winner of the Booker Prize 2020)

'[Claire Keegan] creates luminous effects with spare material, so every line seems to be a lesson in the perfect deployment of both style and emotion.' -Hilary Mantel

What listeners say about Small Things Like These

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beautiful

such a beautiful story, though short it is full of heart, will make you think and feel.

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Fabulous

Wasn’t sure about such a short book - but it was a truly great read. Touches on so many issues without melodrama - just facts and yet it is full of emotion! . The writing style was also great - quality that demands respect - so many subplots it makes you wonder how it was achieved in such a short book. This was my first Claire Keegan novel - I’m off to find more!

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More please!

The story had me gripped, I just wished it was longer! Beautiful writing and imagery.

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All round excellence

From start to finish this was a gripping moving story well read with feeling. Thoroughly enjoyable.

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Good story

I enjoyed this more than I expected - good story with interesting characters! Well worth a read/listen!

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Perfection

This is a beautifully written story. Very much looking forward to reading more of Keegan’s works.

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a beautiful portrait of people & place

I was very moved by this book. a beautiful portrait of people and place.

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Brilliant brilliant story

So so good, a perfect short book. Narrated brilliantly, enjoyed this so much. Highly recommend

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The wonderful descriptions of normal life in Ireland at a certain time.

Nothing to dislike. A lovely story of normal Irish life and its worries joys and concerns of living.

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Stunning

This really is extraordinary. A novella of incredible penetration of a period in Ireland when we were lacking such a basic empathy towards some women and girls. She inhabits a small story within that lack of empathy and it is very stirring. Beautifully read too. Brilliant.

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12 people found this helpful