‘This is a tale of courage and compassion, of good sons and vulnerable young mothers. Absolutely beautiful.’-Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie Bain (Winner of the Booker Prize 2020)It is 1985, in an Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal and timber merchant, faces into his busiest season. As he does the rounds, he feels the past rising up to meet him – and encounters the complicit silences of a people controlled by the Church.The long-awaited new work from the author of Foster, Small Things Like These is an unforgettable story of hope, quiet heroism and tenderness.‘[Claire Keegan] creates luminous effects with spare material, so every line seems to be a lesson in the perfect deployment of both style and emotion.’Hilary Mantel