A Review of “Small Thing Like These” in 100 Words by Catherine Stover
This quote expresses the tension in Small Things Like These, which is about the terrible choice the Irish coal merchant, Furlong, must make between self-preservation and self-respect. Either way, he stands a chance to lose something important. The setting for Furlong’s dilemma — a shed where coal is stored — happens to be owned and operated through a partnership between the Catholic Church and the Irish government. This powerful novel, which won the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, shows how institutions can fail the people they serve. For days after reading it, I thought about the consequences of Furlong’s choice.
Work Cited:
Keegan, Claire. Small Things Like These. Faber, 2021, p. p.12