Et cetera : Book Review: Foster

Foster
                    Claire Keegan
                                                       Adult Fiction
                                                       Medium Type

          A child of about 7 years old, Petal is one of a very large, poor family growing up in the small town of Conegal, Ireland.  The reader is told almost nothing about her family, but it is easy to read between the lines and meet the careless, drinking, gambling man named Dan, the father.  Mother isn't described directly but in comparison to others.  I picture her as a hard-working woman, nearly worn out with at least five children, and another on the way. 
          As the story opens, Petal's father is loading her into the car, which is headed, we learn, to the home of the Kinsella family.  These folks are to foster Petal for "as long as they like", her mother says.  This book feels comfortable, almost like a memory being thought of again.  There are a few very touching parts, but not overly sad nor depressing.
          This felt like a book written long ago, but was in fact, set in the early 1980s. This is a new release, and has already garnered much praise  and several prestigious awards!  Pick up this charming book and enjoy it; it won't be difficult, as it is only ninety-five pages long, and well worth the time!  (Also available through Hoopla as an ebook, and an audio book.)  Happy reading!!



                                                Published 2010 By
                                                Faber & Fabre LTD.
                                                United Kingdom
                                                Published 2022 By
                                                Grove Press, NY