Claire Keegan proves powerful messages can come in small packages.

Small Things Like These (Grove Press, 2021) is one of the shortest books I’ve listened to—about two hours.

It has been turned into a movie, which I have not seen.

It’s 1985 in Ireland and Bill Furlong is about to be given Christmas “gifts” he never imagined.

Mostly this is a story about empathy, about caring, about doing what’s right even knowing there will be consequences.

While I liked the book and the message is powerful, it felt like this was just the first act and then it was over. I felt cheated in a way. I wanted more.

What is there is good. What is missing makes it hard to completely recommend it. While other books have left me wanting more, I feel like this story was incomplete.

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