This short story tells a first-person account of an Irish child sent to live with relatives in the countryside. At the outset, she does not know whether she will ever return home again. She quickly discovers that her new guardians are kind and affectionate in a way that her parents never were. She grows to feel at home there… until something terrible happens to make her see her situation for what it is. Then her parents have her return home, where she faces a new problem – whether to speak or to remain silent about her experiences.
Claire Keegan’s writing appeals to those who like shorter works of fiction and appreciate books where the events themselves drive the plot. I had to reread parts of this work because the plot movements were so subtle, yet after rereading them, I found the entire work to be ingenious. Her style is almost too nuanced, but her themes possess an infinitely deep quality.
Like the rest of Keegan’s writing, this story is succinctly worded without spending any loose energy. It reminds readers that things are not always as they seem and that speaking the truth remains an eminent human virtue. She nobly puts a magnifying glass on vulnerable children such as those fostered in the vulnerable society of Ireland. Because her stories are so understated, she encourages readers to focus upon details to extract meaning. As in literature, so in life.
Foster
By Claire Keegan
Copyright (c) 2010, 2022
Faber
ISBN13 9780571379149
Page Count: 88
Genre: Short Story
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