Published date: November 2021
Pages: 128
Summary
Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These is a poignant short story that delves into the complexities of morality, class, and social injustice in rural Ireland during the 1980s. Told through the eyes of an observant coal and timber merchant named Bill Furlong. As he makes his Christmas deliveries, he feels the past rising up to meet him – and encounters the complicit silences of a small community controlled by the Church.
My thoughts
The narrative is gentle yet harsh. The book focusing on the mundane details of Furlong’s life. His days are filled with the rhythm of his work, his family, and his community, but he enjoys it. It was refreshing to see the every day life captured so eloquently, and that, sometimes it’s the simple joys or blessings that make us feel happiness. There is nothing wrong with mundane when you have the people you love around you.
Furlong spends a lot of the book reflecting, and he notes that by having these simple pleasures, they are far luckier than others in their village, and it helps put things into perspective. Contrasting with the very beginning of this book, I really sympathised with Furlong, and I believe he got what a young version himself has always wanted.
However, a seemingly insignificant event—a chance encounter with a young woman—disrupts his peaceful existence. As Furlong becomes increasingly aware of the plight of the unmarried mothers confined to the local mother and baby home, he is forced to confront the moral implications of his own choices and the collective silence of his community.
It is not unknown what goes on within this large home (and I say ‘home’ loosely). This book takes a lot of inspiration from Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries and although the book is entirely fiction, it does a masterful job of setting the scene and seeing the relationships behind the scenes, as well as the impact on these girls and babies. I do not wish to give spoilers so I will refrain from going into detail but if you do decide to read the book, I highly recommend reading into the Magdalene Laundries and learning a bit more, it really is fascinating. With the last ‘home’ closing in 1996, this was not a distant piece of history.
Keegan’s masterful use of language and imagery creates a sense of both intimacy and distance. We feel Furlong battling between his young desires of a happy home and providing for his family, conflicting against his morality and what he believes is right. These thoughts are competing for priority and Furlong is torn, the people around him imposing their own thoughts as to what is important. It’s incredibly difficult to be put in a situation where both things are of importance, and the only options are to remain silent and protect your family or be the lone voice to speak up and help another, without knowing the full repercussions that will come of those actions.
Through the writing we are able to inhabit Finneran’s perspective, to feel his growing unease and moral turmoil.
“My heart feels not so much in my chest as in my hands. I am carrying it along swiftly, as though I have become the messenger for what is going on inside me.”
The novel’s exploration of themes such as guilt, empathy, and the power of individual action is both timely and timeless. We can apply these feelings of moral ambiguity to many modern day situations. Society is complex and there are many factors competing with each other but ultimately, it is who we are as people and who do we want to be? Keegan’s refusal to offer easy answers or moralising judgments makes readers contemplate their own complicity in systems of injustice. What would you do if you were Bill Furlong?
I typically read fantasy where there is fast action and long journeys and epic battles. It’s all very exciting, you’re heart is racing and you’re wondering what is going to happen next. This books is not action-packed but it hits you in another way because it is so real. This book could be you. This could be your town or your family, and for many people this possibly was them.
Small Things Like These is a haunting and thought-provoking work that lingers in the mind. It highlights the power of literature to illuminate the human condition and inspire empathy. How do you choose between your own life and those of others, and why must it be a choice?
He found himself asking was there any point in being alive without helping one another?
Would I recommend?
Absolutely! I have had this book on my shelf for 6 months under strict instructions from my friend to wait until winter time, and I am very glad I did. This was a quick read but it’s been almost a week now and I am still thinking about this story. It has left a lasting impression on me and I am glad to find a book like that.