'I'd never heard of Magdalene laundries' – Oprah Winfrey praises ...

This week Winfrey launched “The Oprah Podcast,” a weekly series airing on her YouTube channel that will feature book club authors and guests. She began the series with Keegan’s prize-winning historical novel “Small Things Like These”, published in 2021, which has since been adapted into a film starring Oscar winner Cillian Murphy.

The book is centred on character Bill, a coal merchant in 1980s New Ross, Co Wexford, who wrestles with the idea of doing the right thing after discovering a Magdalene laundry in a local convent.

Winfrey said of the book: "What resonated with me? First of all, read the story, and I had never heard of the Magdalene Laundries. This story, which is heartwarming and meaningful, and it's about a father trying to do the best he can for his family, and then has this decision to make.... For me to run across a story that's based in truth, but is actually fiction, was what was really exciting to me."

"To know that Oprah Winfrey took pleasure in reading my book is the most exquisite compliment, which will last my lifetime," Keegan said in a statement, in response to the endorsement. "To be told that she has also recommended it for others to read and has chosen this novel for her book club is a tremendous honour. May her wonderful book club encourage people into reading for years and years to come."

The book is available now, and episodes of "The Oprah Podcast" can be streamed on YouTube and other platforms.