Book Club Questions for Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

Claire Keegan's Book, Small things like these with matching Bailey's Cocktail

This Thursday (30th March) we'll be back online for our Boozy Book Club discussion for Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan.

Thanks to Karen for the above photo of her "December of Crows" cocktail (I wish I'd added cream) that was paired with last month's book. I am seriously tempted to get some more Hotel Chocolat sachets so I can make myself another one for Thursday night.

I always knew I wanted the drink to be a take on an Irish coffee, for obvious reasons but a warm drink seemed even more apt because of how cold the environment of the book felt as well as how cold February was for most of us!!! I hope you enjoyed it.

I'm posting the questions for you to have a think about for Thursday below and I hope some of you will feel brave enough to join in the discussions.

As I've said before, books for me are about making connections, from reading together and then sharing how the book made us think and feel. I consciously make the questions about ourselves in relation to the themes of the story because I purposefully want the Boozy Book Club to be about sharing experiences and reflecting on life.

I think books and stories are a good way to get us thinking. Everyone can talk confidently about themselves, we are all our own experts on that.

So Book Club chats with the Boozy Book Club are maybe a bit different but hopefully still fun and meaningful. As always, no one is forced to chat, listening can be just as rewarding.

Here's what I want you to think about before Thursday's meet -

1. Can you think of any instances in your life where the closest thing was the hardest to see?

2. Bill describes Mrs Wilson’s daily kindnesses, encouragement and consideration as "the small things when added up, amounted to a life”.

Has there been a person outwit your family whose treatment towards you has added to your life? Who, What, Why?

3. Turning a blind eye. It takes courage to go against the majority and make a stand for what you believe in. Have you ever had to do this or have you ever in hindsight wished you had?

4. Bill wonders “what life would be like if they were given time to think & reflect over things” and his wife Eileen says, “Where does thinking get us?” Which do you think is best and why?

5. The book is set in 1985 (38 years ago). Does it seem shocking to you that in such a relatively short time ago, unmarried mothers were treated like this. If you were around in 1985 were you aware of this kind of disparity?