Small things like these / Claire Keegan

The history of Ireland's Magdalen laundries is one of horrible cruelty and suffering. The triumph of this novella is to tell the terrible truth of that history without melodrama, but with quiet honesty and, without minimising the suffering, in a way that celebrates the individual goodness and bravery that resides in the human heart - in some human hearts at least. It's remarkable that such a short piece of work can show both how the social and moral order, dominated by the Church, made such horrors possible, and that tragedy did not necessarily have to result if individuals had the courage and compassion to stand against it. It's beautifully written, each sentence clear and precise, without a word wasted, and moving the action relentlessly forward towards its devastating and triumphant conclusion. James Joyce or Anton Chekhov are short story writers that come to mind reading this book. Superb.