This was my first time reading a book from the author but I am delighted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading more books from the writer in the future

This novella is so powerful. The story was beautifully told. For such a short book, it was so easy to become invested in the characters. A book that everyone should read

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan is a perfect little jewel of a novel. One to read and reread.

I love being given the opportunity to update our school library which is a unique space for both senior students and staff to access high quality literature. This is definitely a must-buy. It kept me absolutely gripped from cover to cover and is exactly the kind of read that just flies off the shelves. It has exactly the right combination of credible characters and a compelling plot thatI just could not put down. This is a great read that I couldn't stop thinking about and it made for a hugely satisfying read. I'm definitely going to order a copy and think it will immediately become a popular addition to our fiction shelves. 10/10 would absolutely recommend.

This was a really lovely story, but so short it left me wanting more! I liked the spare style of writing and the open-ended conclusion.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

One of the best books I have read this year to date.

This is a short novel set in Ireland at Christmas time in 1985. Bill Furlong, a coal and timber merchant, is challenged by a situation he discovers when making a delivery to a local convent.

Bill is happily married and lives with his wife and five daughters; however, his work takes him into the lives of others less fortunate. Aware of his own poor beginnings and good fortune in life, Bill is a kind and generous man who does his best to help others wherever he can.

The encounter at the convent leaves Bill questioning his faith and the complicit silence of the surrounding community. He is appalled at the way vulnerable young mothers are treated and wrestles with his conscience, before deciding he must act.

Not all books have to be long to make an impact. Claire Keegan's prose is incisive and powerful as she depicts the world inhabited by Bill and his family, and the way his life changes in response to what he discovers.

The ending of the story is intensely moving and the hope contained in Bill's journey home should resonate with many. I was left thinking about how one single act of compassion can have an impact far beyond the immediate person who is benefited.

I received a free digital ARC of this book via Faber and Faber Ltd, and am voluntarily leaving this review.

This is a beautiful novella that I adored. What a voice! And at heart, oof. Wonderful achy stuff.


I shared this in my writers group, at work in the library, tweeted it, and posted on Instagram.

This was a beautifully written "short" book. I would love to have this as a fully written book as I was left wanting more when it ended. The writer brings Ireland to life on each page. Loved it.

A tiny novel. It certainly packs a punch. I had, however, a kind of a hard time getting into it in the beginning. I was wondering then if maybe it was either too long or too short. It might have worked better for me as a short story or as a novel.

For such a small book, this has really stayed with me - a powerful story of one man exploring his home, his family and his morals. I would have loved to have read a longer version of it, but I can see how less is more and it really left me reflecting on what I had read.

The brevity of this book belies its strength. I was immediately drawn into the bitter cold of a small Irish town in the weeks before Christmas and the daily life of its inhabitants, in particular Bill Furlong. The story is set in the 1980s but in many ways it is timeless. Bill is a good man, a coal merchant. He trudges through his days, working hard, doing his best for his family, his employees and his customers. His backstory unfolds quietly. Ultimately he makes a decision which will irrevocably change his life and that of his family, and challenge the status quo of the entire community.

I loved this book for what it doesn’t say as much as for the simplicity of the beautiful prose in which it is written. Claire Keegan’s decision to end the book as she does is inspired. It deserves its place on the 2022 Booker Longlist. Sometimes less is very much more.

So lucky to have early access to this en capturing and beautiful novel. The praises heaped upon Claire are richly deserved. Thankyou

This is a pretty powerful little book. I love that Claire Keegan is quoted as saying "I think something needs to be as long as it needs to be". I have to agree. Even though this is short, it is descriptive and is long enough to really get under your skin. It is now the shortest book to ever be nominated for the Booker Prize.

Set in Ireland, against the backdrop of a cold Christmas season, Bill Furlong comes into contact with some of the residents at a Magdalen Laundry. The story unfolds slowly but purposefully from there. The book is dedicated to the thousands of young women across Ireland who were subjected to the laundries and whilst it does not go into details of what went on, it says enough.

I really liked this. I loved being in Bill's head, and learning his backstory and his musings and thoughts on life and it's purpose. Towards the very end there is a line where Bill thinks to himself "was there any point in being alive without helping one another?". If only everyone was a bit more like Bill sometimes.

Thank you @netgalley for my gifted ebook in exchange for an honest review.

How do you talk about a novella that is just over 100 pages long and the blurb only eludes to the plot by stating that the protagonist, Bill Furlong, ‘encounters the complicit silences of a people controlled by the Church.’? 

Small Things Like These is set in New Ross in 1985, so it’s safe to say that most people in or from Ireland will immediately know what is being referred to. Yet, for people who don’t know the full extent of the Catholic Church’s control over Ireland and our history of ‘institutions’, much of the atmosphere of Small Things Like These is in sensing that something is wrong, but only discovering what that something is as Bill Furlong becomes more and more concerned about what is happening in the Good Sheperd Convent. 

It is the weeks before Christmas and Bill Furlong, a coal and timber merchant, is the busiest he has been all year. While going about his days, Furlong reflects on his unusual childhood and life as it is now, with his wife and daughters. 

As I was reading the words Dickensian, fable and fairytale kept rattling around my brain. Small Things Like These is a strange blend of all three without fully committing to any of them. Dickens being referenced only added to this feeling. 

Claire Keegan is a talented writer, she excels at describing the quiet moments of everyday life. However, for me, the elements of the story don’t quite come together. I don’t mean the actions Bill Furlong takes, but Keegan’s decision to end the novella where she does. Objectively, I understand why she did. But as a reader, it did not have the profound impact on me that it has had on others.

Which I know puts me in a minority.

Short but sweet. The story of Bill Furlong working and raising his family in New Ross in 1985 is heart wrenching but heart warming. Bill is a very good and kind person, hardworking and well thought of. He has survived through the years because of kindness shown to his mother and himself and he believes that everyone is the same. Slowly he becomes aware of what is happening in the convent and he wakes up to the truth.

This book is very short but because of that it is very powerful. It evokes lovely memories of Christmas in Ireland but also reminds us that things were not always good. I loved it

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book - only disappointed by its length! I became immersed in the world of Bill Furlong, a coal merchant in the Irish town of New Ross, in the bitterly cold winter of 1985. Bill is a good man, with empathy for others and a keen awareness that poverty and destitution lie only a hair's breadth away. He gives money to children on the street and takes care that all his customers receive an excellent service.
He is a man who could have flourished in many different lives, he has imagination and integrity and love.
Then he is brought to face the reality of what is going on in the convent run laundry on the edge of town. There have been rumours, the atmosphere is not straightforward, the surface is calm and pleasant but there are places that you would not chose to go. Like the cellar on one day when Bill is delivering the coal in time for Christmas.

So, I was deeply engrossed and then suddenly, it was over! As I was reading on Kindle I hadn't realised that the book was short. It was a surprise but it didn't take away from the beauty of the story.

It is unusual to be taken inside the mind and heart of an older man. A man with a philosophical and enquiring mind. Someone who cares about others and about life. Someone you would like as your neighbour or friend. I enjoyed this and so much more. The prose is clear and concise. Nothing is wasted. I would read this again and will look out for other stories from Claire Keegan.

Bill has been brought up knowing kindness and is aware of how different his life could have turned out under different circumstances. Sometimes small acts of kindness aren't always enough in face of great suffering but doing the right thing may require great personal sacrifice. These themes are exquisitely handled in this emotional gem of a novella which will restore your faith in humanity.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this delightful book.

Set in Ireland in the 1980s, this is a short novel about Bill Furlong and his family. I thought it was beautifully written, really evoked a cold winter and Christmas time and gently dealt with some big topics.

Review ** spoiler alert ** A quick read only 110 pages, but one that packs a punch. Left feeling that Kindness passes down the generations, but also an overwhelming feeling of sadness in knowing how the Catholic Church in Ireland ruined the lives of many young women in what seems like very recent times. A small book, with a mighty tale behind it.