Oprah Winfrey has selected Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These as her latest book club pick.
Keegan’s novel, published in the U.S. in 2021 by Grove, follows Bill Furlong, an Irish coal merchant who makes a troubling discovery while making a delivery to a convent. The book won the Orwell Prize and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize; in a starred review, a critic for Kirkus called it “a stunning feat of storytelling and moral clarity.” A film based on the novel, directed by Tim Mielants and starring Cillian Murphy, was released last month.
Winfrey announced the book’s selection in a video on Instagram, saying, “It is less than 120 pages, so you can read it in one sitting if you want to. It’s a small book, but a mighty story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.…What I so appreciate about this book is it shows us the everyday heroism of Bill trying to do his best for his wife and his daughters while struggling with what is right and what is wrong in their world.”
Winfrey also launched a new weekly YouTube series, the Oprah Podcast, with Keegan as her first guest. The podcast will feature Winfrey’s interviews with authors who have been selected for her book club, along with other guests. The Associated Press reports that future guests include U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and celebrity chef Ina Garten.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
