427. HAVE YOU READ? BEST BOOKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY ACCORDING TO THE NEW YORK TIMES

Marge Hallissy via Zoom   Jan. 3: Claire Keegan, Small Things Like These. ISBN 978-0571368709. In 1985 Ireland, Christmas is coming, but instead of celebrating the major holiday of his faith, a timber merchant must come to terms with the influence of the Catholic Church on his culture. Bill Furlong’s investigation into the Irish past reveals the harsh treatment meted out to unmarried mothers like his own. This novella has been made into a film starring Cillian Murphy, which was released in the United States in November 2024. Feb. 7: Barbara Kingsolver, Demon Copperhead. ISBN 978-0063251984. Based on Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield set in contemporary Appalachia, Kingsolver’s novel, like its predecessor, examines the effect of poverty on a young boy. In Appalachia as in Victorian England, cultural and economic deprivation place the youth of the community at a major disadvantage. Since the novel is so popular, group members who have already read it can consider reading the Dickens nov