Burgundy & Books

Irish writer Claire Keegan has long been known for her powerful short stories. As one recent Booker Prize-winning author said, “She can say so much, and be so loud with very little.” Her most recent work, Small Things Like These, is a mere 116 pages long, but it manages to convey a vast complexity of social and ethical issues within a small Irish town in the late 20^th century. The simplicity of her prose exists in beautiful tension with the magnitude of the conundrum faced by the protagonist: How do we behave when faced with a situation we know to be morally wrong—especially when challenging it might cost us greatly? It is a text, in other words, that seems perfect for a Sacred Heart audience. I recently spoke with an SHP English teacher who taught the book last semester to her seniors; she said it provoked the most thoughtful discussion she’d yet enjoyed with a group of students. 

Since the book is so short, you may wish to pair it with Foster, Keegan’s earlier novella. At only 92 pages, Keegan calls it a “long short story.” It has also been made into a film, The Quiet Girl, which was nominated for the 2023 Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. It is available to stream on several platforms.