Twelve members attended and were welcomed to the Book Club Meeting. Apologies, with their reviews, were received from those who were unable to get to the Meeting. No-one readily came forward to start us off, so Brenda started the discussion by saying she personally thought it was an insignificant book for a huge issue and she had not rated it that highly. All agreed it was indeed a very short story set in Ireland – most being able to read it in around 2 or so hours. Several Members described it as half a book which suddenly stopped. One Member did read it twice, on the second read through she found the language flowed and made her think about things that she had not on the first read through. Another member like most that Bill Furlong, the main character was a decent chap and liked him but the book was too slow for them to explain how his character evolved. Most Members agreed that Mrs. Wilson was a good person throughout her whole life but no real explanation in the book actually confirmed this in any way.
A lengthy discussion followed on the life in the Convent and the unmarried girls and how they were treated especially as most were surprised that the book was set later than they thought. Comparisons were made with the Magdalen Laundries situation that some members remembered in past news stories and even in previous books read by the Book Club. It was felt that Bill Furlong was a compassionate man who, when coming across the young Sarah, must have thought about his own mother’s situation and wondered what would / could have happened if the circumstances for her had been different and this underpinned his need to help Sarah “escape” the life she had in the Convent like many others. He questioned the nuns at the convent about her situation and Members thought the nuns had covered up, leading him to believe at the time it had possibly been accidental when Sarah was found locked in the barn. It was also mentioned that Ned had maybe possibly been Bill’s father, based on the care and attention he had given him throughout his childhood. Members felt sad that the author did not tie any of that possible information up. Everyone felt that the book needed a sequel after its sudden ending and wanted to know what the reaction of Bill’s wife, Eileen, may have been as she had said not to get involved and to leave things be as he arrived back home with barefoot Sarah in tow.
Most agreed that they did not actually dislike the book but that it just left too many unfinished endings especially when it was a very short book. But quite a few did not like the book as a whole because it needed more!!
On that note ……The author, Claire Keegan was quoted as saying “the nature of a short story is unanswered questions!! “
So there you have it – brilliantly evoking discussion around a mixed bag of reactions and emotions about this short story. The true purpose of a Book Club – not always reading books in your comfort zone!