SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE BY CLAIRE KEEGAN

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BOOK NAME: SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE

AUTHOR NAME: CLAIRE KEEGAN

GENRE: HISTORICAL FICTION 

PUBLISHER: FABER BOOKS

BOOK BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.in/Small-Things-These-Claire-Keegan-ebook/dp/B08W8TWWFQ



BOOK COVER IMAGE



BOOK REVIEW

Have you ever wondered if books less than 110 pages make an impact in a way that even the chunkier ones do not manage to? Well, what if I told you this is one among those books with fewer words but a powerful, hard-hitting theme? The book reads like Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, where one will struggle to understand its purpose and the characters until they reach the end, which will leave them flustered and asking for more. The core of the book is kindness and how to find it in simple gestures. 


It's 1985, and the small Irish town is beaming to welcome Christmas soon. Bill Furlong is a happy man as it's the busiest season for his coal and timber business. Furlong, who was born to a "fallen woman", is so determined to find who his father is. Yet he is nonchalant and rational until he encounters a woman with a fate similar to his mother's. After witnessing her struggles and staying a spectator for a long time, he decides to stand up for what's right and be just.


This book is based on the "Magdalene Laundries", an asylum run in the 1900s by Catholics for "fallen women" in Ireland. But later, a scandal which caused the death of many women who took shelter in the asylum was uncovered, leading to the government shutting them down after issuing a public apology. The discovery of such a practice through this book was shocking enough for me to do basic research on it, leading to more disclosure that left me berserk. 


The language was so addictive that I yearned for more. It was a quick read but definitely compelling enough to leave a lasting effect on my mind. The book felt very similar to those by Ruskin Bond, which are also short but have powerful messages and are meant for all ages. I would recommend this for anyone going through a reading slump or need a quick read to finish your TBR. 



MY REVIEW: 4/5

This is a part of Blogchatter’s #TBRchallenge

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