Now I know I said I wanted a shorter book to finish off my August reading but this was probably shorter than I had anticipated. I have literally finished it in less than 2 hours of reading. The brevity does make it a little difficult to review and to rate, as it’s hard to compare to other, more in depth books.

The story is set in Ireland in the 80’s, following a man called William Furlong who runs a coal and fire wood business. He has a wife and five daughters and we get a glimpse into both his current, relatively happy, life and his past. He was raised by his mother in the house of a widow with a degree of wealth. Furlong wants to know who is father is but is never told (although there is a hint or two made).

Set in the few days running up to Christmas the weather is bleak and Furlong is busy delivering coal when he has to drop an order of at a convent. While there he makes a discovery which throws him into a moral and religious crisis. We then follow on a journey with Furlong as he grapples with his conscience and the potential ramifications of his actions.

Although short, the book is beautifully written. The imagery and character building is so rapier sharp and efficient that the book feels like it is just as long as it needs to be and no longer. There are more questions that answers by the end, but unlike other books where that may leave the reader feeling unfulfilled, in this case it felt right and that the story was a brief glimpse into a life and no more.

I have given this four stars because I really liked it, as long as you go into this book knowing it will be over quickly I think you will enjoy it as well. Some of the wonderful Irish dialog had me laughing aloud, and I couldn’t help but read it with an Irish accent in my head.

Small Things Like These