Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@Oprah Oprah’s Book Club: Presented by Starbucks premieres with a New York Times bestseller which the newspaper named one of their 100 best books of the 21st century: Small Things Like These. Oprah sits down with award-winning author Claire Keegan at a Starbucks café to discuss this 109th book club pick. Joined by a live audience of readers - over coffee - Claire shares her writing process, takes questions, and explains some of the main themes in this modern masterpiece. The heroic tale takes us on a journey of discovering what matters most in life and why it’s important to make brave decisions. Oprah will zoom with a woman in Ireland who experienced firsthand what the characters in the story encounter. We’ll also meet two Irish High School students who encouraged their entire class to read the book. BUY THE BOOK! Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, published by Grove Atlantic and available now wherever books and audio books are sold: https://amzn.to/4wGHfEO To find all of the Oprah’s Book Club selections and 30 of Oprah’s most memorable reads, visit: http://www.amazon.com/obc 00:00:00 Claire Keegan Welcome at Starbucks in New York City! 00:01:57 109th Book Club Pick: “Small Things Like These” 00:02:16 “Small Things Like These” Plot Synopsis 00:04:14 Claire Keegan's Welcome To The Show 00:04:36 About Bill Furlong, The Book's Main Character 00:06:41 Stories Go Looking For Their Authors 00:07:40 When Claire Knew She Was a Writer 00:08:17 How Claire Comes Up With Titles For Her Books 00:09:30 What The Title Means To Claire 00:10:42 How Claire Developed Her Characters 00:12:27 Why A Longer Novel Would Not Have Worked For A Character Like Bill Furlong 00:14:14 The Magdalene Laundries 00:14:48 Personal Connections to the Laundries 00:16:00 Intro Maureen Sullivan, Survivor of The Magdalene Laundries and author of “Girl In The Tunnel” 00:18:17 Maureen's Reaction To “Small Things Like These” 00:19:20 Maureen's Response To The Trauma Of The Laundries 00:20:00 “Girl In The Tunnel” Is An Excellent Read 00:24:15 “Small Things Like These” - The Movie 00:24:38 Maureen's Reaction To The Movie 00:25:57 Claire's Reaction To Writing a Book That Helps People Heal 00:26:57 How Claire's Experience In Ireland Influenced The Book 00:28:18 Starbucks Coffee Break 00:28:48 If You Could Have Coffee With Anyone In The Book, Who Would You Choose? 00:30:48 What The 1980s Were Like In Ireland 00:30:35 High School Students Join From Ireland 00:31:36 Shame And Guilt Passed Down Through Generations 00:33:15 They Think The Book Is So Accurate About Ireland in the 80s 00:33:52 What Inspired Claire To Write This Book? 00:34:43 How It Feels To Read And Discuss This Book In Schools 00:36:00 How This Book Resonated With a Father In The Audience 00:37:03 Is This Book A Love Story? 00:39:13 The Message For The Reader To Takeaway 00:40:58 What Makes Someone Able to Make A Courageous Choice? 00:42:02 Oprah’s A-Ha Moment 00:43:27 Closing Moments Of The Book 00:46:01 How The Book And Movie Will Open Up The Conversation 00:46:52 Was Claire Ever Afraid About The Response To The Book? 00:47:14 Thank You SUPPORT THE SHOW Visit your local Starbucks café and enjoy a curated beverage pairing - Starbucks Christmas Blend - a dark roast with notes of spiced chocolate and spruce tips, perfect for the holidays: https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2123796/hot Also referenced in this episode: "Girl in the Tunnel: My Story of Love and Loss as a Survivor of the Magdalene Laundries" by Maureen Sullivan: https://amzn.to/4z1tdiQ and New Decade Film's documentary, "Ireland's Dirty Laundry:" https://irelandsdirtylaundry.com/ Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: https://www.instagram.com/oprah/ https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ Listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381 #oprahsbookclub