Foster

Claire Keegan

“You don’t ever have to say anything,’ he says. ‘Always remember that as a thing you need never do. Many's the man lost much just because he missed a perfect opportunity to say nothing.”

It’s not an easy thing to capture so many emotions within the span of just 70 pages, but Claire Keegan achieves it masterfully in this beautiful novella. Some of the sentences stayed with me long after I closed the book. The story takes place in Ireland, follows a little girl sent by her family to spend the summer with the Kinsella couple—with whom she never met. The narrative unfolds through the child’s perspective, immersing us in her efforts to make sense of this unfamiliar home, its people, and her surroundings. Keegan’s ability to convey depth with so few words is remarkable. Tiny details like the little girl’s gaze, her choice of words, what she leaves unsaid and her way of understanding the world—combine to create a sense of compassion, bittersweet and delicate feeling that lingers.
‍