Review: Small Things Like These- Clare Keegan

By Hermione Reid

“Why were the things that were closest so often the hardest to see?” Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These is physically a small book at only 83 pages but is one of great power. The reader is invited into the cosy and quiet setting of a small town in rural Ireland in the runup to Christmas as, “Blades of cold slid under doors and cut the knees off those who still knelt to say the rosary”. Keegan engages deeply with the ‘small things’ in life; the mundane and arbitrary tasks of everyday life, while also showing appreciation for little pockets of joy in a monotonous existence. This focus on the ordinary creates a peaceful and quiet backdrop for horrifying revelations made by our main character towards the end of the novel. Keegan, in creating the idyllic rural Irish setting, demonstrates two sides to life in Ireland under strict Catholic and conservative rule.

The abhorrence of Ireland’s Magdalen laundries is featured in the novel and the fates of Ireland’s ‘fallen’ girls is revealed. Keegan does not dive deeply into this topic, yet perfectly establishes that most people in Ireland were not aware of the atrocities happening around them (or more likely, refused to acknowledge them). The end note of the text reveals that the last of these homes was not closed until 1996 and that almost thirty thousand girls were incarcerated and forced to labour in these institutions. It is impossible to comprehend that these institutions were concealed from public view and were not largely questioned. In Small Things Like These, Keegan depicts the fear people had of the Catholic church and how difficult it seemed for people to betray these religious ideas, choosing to believe the church could do no wrong. While simultaneously showing how one person can make a difference and how one small decision can alter the course of someone’s life.

Bill Furlong, coal and timber merchant is our main character. Raised by a young single mother and Mrs Wilson who took them in, Bill becomes an emotionally intelligent man and loving father to his five daughters. He is full of worry for his daughters and those around him and is constantly aware of:

“His self-preservation and courage battling against each other.”

A traditionally Irish position to be in, when living under the overbearing religious order of the Irish state. Bill questions what it is to be human without helping others and in the end his moral obligation wins over his fear as he takes the leap and braves the intimidating convent. Bill reflects on his past and how his mother could have become a victim of the state if it had not been for the kindness of Mrs Wilson. Therefore he feels it is his duty to help other young vulnerable women, who unlike his daughters, do not have a supportive family around them.

The writing style makes for an emotive and shocking read and the reader is left with the drive to intervene in their community and not choose to ignore what could be happening on their doorstep. The familiar and nostalgic setting leaves us invested in the story and characters in just a short time and I believe this is a great triumph from the author.

This truly is a wonderful novel, beautifully written with an important message behind it. It is a book perfect for this time of year. Claire Keegan is an asset to Irish literature and I will continue to read anything she publishes.

5/5 stars