Library Blog

Museum Community Engagement Manager, Brigid Miller, recommends Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan.

In just 114 pages, Claire Keegan paints a vivid picture of everyday life amidst a dark period of Ireland’s history. Small Things Like These is a story about the struggle between an institution in control and the choice between complicity and courage.

It’s 1985 and the Catholic Church runs the small Irish town in which Bill Furlong and his family live. One day, while delivering coal to the local convent, Bill encounters a woman scrubbing the floor asking him to take her away. Later, on another delivery, he finds a teenage woman locked in a shed and asking for her fourteen-week-old son. Knowing the gossip around the village of a “laundry” at the convent, Bill finds himself caught between his own past and the future he wants for his five daughters.

The rumors that Bill hears are about Magdalene Laundries. From the 18th to the late 20th Century, the
Catholic Church ran Magdalene Laundries across Ireland.

While the exact number is unknown, upwards of thirty thousand women and girls were incarcerated and forced to labor in this system.

The Church also ran “Mother and Baby Homes” where unwed pregnant women went to have their children and stayed after, and where it is estimated that tens of thousands of infants died or were put up for adoption. These two institutions often overlapped and…

…it was not until the late 1990s that the final Magdalene Laundry in Dublin closed and the truth behind these institutions was brought to light.

Although much is still unknown due to records being destroyed, lost, or made inaccessible. To this day survivors and descendants of these institutions are still fighting for justice and awareness.

In this novella, Keegan is shedding light on a part of the past that is still ignored today, but also showing how easy it is to be a bystander to injustice, and the courage it takes to speak out.

In one of the most powerful parts of the book, Keegan invites readers to step into Bill’s shoes and reflect on our own complicity. She writes, “He found himself asking was there any point in being alive without helping one another? Was it possible to carry on along through all the years, the decades, through an entire life, without once being brave enough to go against what was there and yet call yourself a Christian, and face yourself in the mirror?”

Keegan, as she did in her previous novella Foster, creates a powerful narrative in so few pages, and one
that will stay with you long after you finish reading.

Find Small Things Like These in the Library’s collection here.

Communications Manager Kyla Merwin recommends The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.

National Library Week is just begging me to read a “library” book. Despite the growing volume of books on my nightstand, another pile on the kitchen table, a short stack on my work desk, and a “to read” list that keeps expanding, I went back to one of my favorites: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.

This book reminded me that all of us make mistakes in our lives from time to time, but nothing is so bad that there isn’t hope, or redemption, on the other side. And – typically – you can find these in a book (or a good therapist).

Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist (another one of my favorite books), once said, “Everything will be okay in the end. If it isn’t okay, it isn’t the end.” 

Most of us get up in the morning with good intentions; we certainly don’t wake up thinking, “How can I massively screw up my life today?” Still, no one gets through adulthood without a few regrets along the way, eh? That said, if you could turn back time and make a different decision at a critical point in your life, would you?

Would you dare to live the life you could have had based on that decision?

This is exactly what The Midnight Library explores in the life of one Nora Seed, who has piled up wrong turns and bad timing. . .and consequently given up on life. Beyond the average every-day existential crisis, Nora decides to “off” herself.

That’s when all hell breaks loose.

Nora arrives at a very special library, subject to otherworldly rules and governed by her long-ago high school librarian. From endless stacks, Nora gets to experience not just one, but many, many different trajectories of her life based on past choices that she gets to change.

Mind blowing, fascinating, and ultimately uplifting, The Midnight Library invites you to explore a realm at the edge of the known universe, where the books are infinite, the stakes are high, and the choices limited only by one’s own imagination.

As National Library Week approaches, with its celebration of reading, literacy, and – ahem – libraries and the librarians at the heart of them, it might be fun to pop into your local library, thank the friendly and informed librarians, and get a tip for your next great read. Oh, and check out a book while your at it!

You’ll find adventure, imagination, facts, figures, and even hope, in the pages of a book.

Find The Midnight Library in our Collection in print, ebook, eaudiobook, and on CD here.

Wood River Museum Collections Specialist Ellie Norman recommends the film, Melancholia, written and directed by Lars von Trier.

Lars von Trier’s Melancholia (2011, R) is a cinematic exploration of despair and impending doom, framed within the intricate psyche of two sisters, Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg). The narrative unfolds in two parts: Justine’s wedding day and the days leading up to the collision of the planet Melancholia with Earth.

Von Trier masterfully delves into the fragile states of mind that accompany depression and anxiety disorders, drawing from his own familiarity with these themes.

In the film, Gainsbourg and Dunst deliver powerhouse performances that elevate Melancholia to a profoundly affecting experience. Gainsbourg’s portrayal of Claire’s emotional unraveling is particularly poignant, transitioning from resilience to vulnerability with stunning authenticity.

Meanwhile, Dunst astonishes with her portrayal of Justine’s descent into depression, capturing the character’s complexities with unwavering precision. The chemistry between the two actresses is palpable, their performances complementing each other to create a deeply resonant narrative.

The film’s exploration of mental illness and existential dread is both harrowing and thought-provoking.

For those who have experienced depression, Melancholia strikes a chord with its raw depiction of despondency and the accompanying frustration. Von Trier’s direction, coupled with the stellar performances, creates an atmosphere of impending doom that lingers long after the credits roll.

However, Melancholia is not without its detractors. Its somber subject matter and unrelenting portrayal of despair have polarized audiences and critics alike. While some praise the film for its unflinching honesty and emotional depth, others find its relentless bleakness difficult to endure.

Melancholia is a film that demands emotional investment, offering no easy answers or moments of respite.

In conclusion, Melancholia is a haunting exploration of depression, anxiety, and the human psyche. Von Trier’s direction, coupled with standout performances from Gainsbourg and Dunst, makes for a compelling cinematic experience. While its unrelenting bleakness may not be for everyone, those willing to engage with its themes will find a film that lingers in the mind long after viewing.

Find it on DVD and streaming on Kanopy here.