Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

Last year, I started a new habit of carrying a short novel with me, so I can read it when I’m waiting for the bus, or when I’m on the train, instead of using my phone, or reading on my phone. I call this an outside book, a book that I only read when I’m out.

Like the book name, Small Things Like These dives into the subtleties of human emotions and relationships.

The ordinary story captures the essence of a simple and quiet existence, where the smallest moments hold great significance, highlighting the profound impact of even the briefest encounters of Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man.

In these small moments and encounters, they unfold layers of compassion and empathy through acts of kindness and understanding, which transcends barriers and shapes the lives of those involved.

Yet, it reveals the brutal truth of life in this modern world - ‘If you want to get on in life, there’s things you have to ignore, so you can keep on.’

A blend of reality and personal life reflection seep in these layers, reminding me of how often times we are so caught up in life and overlook what’s in front of us, what’s in us.

‘Always it was the same, Furlong thought; always they carried mechanically on without pause, to the next job at hand. What would life be like, he wondered, if they were given time to think and reflect over things? Might their lives be different or much the same - or would they just lose the run of themselves?’

Things are always better and prettier from the far out; things that don’t belong to you; things that you never have. They are always shinier when they are not close. What you long for might actually be right before you.

‘Why were the things that were closest so often the hardest to see?’

Such emotional depth and authenticity invite readers to contemplate the significance of small, meaningful gestures in the larger tapestry of human interactions and experiences in our day to day life.

It’s always easy to lose it all, but ‘learning how to manage and balance the give-and-take in a way that let you get on with others as well as your own’ is part of the beauty in life.