Small Things Like These — Book Club Discussion Guide

MONTHLY PICK FEB 2026

Set in Ireland in 1985, Small Things Like These follows Bill Furlong, a coal and timber merchant and family man, during the weeks leading up to Christmas. A discovery on his delivery route forces him to reckon with what people choose to see – and what they choose to ignore.

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Download the free “Small Things Like These” Meeting Pack (A4 PDF)
Includes: meeting plan, discussion questions (spoiler-free + spoiler zone), character cheat sheet, mini activity page, and a vote sheet for next month.

Download here

Quick character cheat sheet (no spoilers)

Bill Furlong — hardworking, observant, carrying the past close to the surface.
Eileen (Bill’s wife) — practical, protective, focused on keeping the family safe.
Mrs Wilson — a key figure in Bill’s backstory and sense of what kindness looks like.

Themes to watch

Silence, complicity, and “everyone knows but nobody says”
Moral courage (and what it costs)
Reputation, class, and who gets protected
Kindness as action (not just feeling)

Trigger note

This book references institutional abuse and coercion. Please take care when discussing.

Discussion Questions (Spoiler-Free)

What lingered most for you: the plot events, the atmosphere, or the moral question underneath?
Bill is quiet and routine-driven. What does the book gain by staying close to his daily life?
How does the town feel on the page: warm, claustrophobic, both?
Where do you see people choosing comfort over truth (without naming spoilers)?
How does the book explore shame – personal, social, institutional?
Which “small detail” hit hardest (a gesture, an object, a line)? Why?
What role do money, status, and reputation play in what people are willing to do?
How did the spare writing style affect you: intimate, relentless, calming, unsettling?
Is this a story about bravery, about limits, or about responsibility?
Who would you recommend this book to – and who might not be in the right headspace for it?

Spoiler Zone (only if everyone has finished)

What felt like the turning point where Bill’s inner conflict became undeniable?
How did your view of Eileen change (if it did) as the story progressed?
Which scene felt like the moral centre of the book for you?
What does the story suggest about the cost of being “good” in a community like this?
Did the ending feel hopeful, devastating, or deliberately unresolved?
If you could ask Bill one question after the final page, what would it be?