WINNER OF THE ORWELL PRIZE AND THE KERRY GROUP IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARDSHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE, THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE AND THE IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR AT THE DALKEY LITERARY AWARDSIt 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.  Readers love Small Things Like These:'Gripping and very moving and thought-provoking ... brilliantly done, but also softly and slowly. You'll never regret reading this book, but it will haunt you for ever after. ''I haven't loved a book for so long. This has changed it. Every word counted. Moral, heartfelt & a beautiful read. ''This is a beautifully written story, both simple and profound. Set at Christmas, it is, in essence, an exploration of the best and the worst of what it is to be human. A stunning achievement. ''A remarkable novel - short, succinct, moving. I read it in one sitting early on a Sunday morning before anybody else was up. ''This book needs to sit and settle with the reader after it's read. Much lies here within what seems a simple tale. It strikes to the heart. '