All St. Paul Reads 2025: Foster

“Maybe the way back will somehow make sense of the coming.” Claire Keegan’s Foster is a brief but powerful novella that has captivated readers around the world and is the focus of this year’s All St. Paul Reads event. Come along for a journey into the heart of an ordinary Irish summer and what happens when kindness, care, and attention are given space to take root.

Set in rural Ireland during the 1980s, Foster tells the story of a young girl who is sent to stay with distant relatives while her mother prepares to give birth to yet another child. The girl’s name is never revealed. She arrives carrying little more than uncertainty and silence, having come from a chaotic, impoverished home where attention was scarce and words were used sparingly. Her father, eager to return home, drops her off and leaves before she has even gathered her bearings in this unfamiliar household, taking her suitcase with him.

And yet, in the care of John and Edna Kinsella, something unexpected happens.

Over the course of a summer, a quiet transformation unfolds. Through small gestures, gentle words, attentive love, and the rhythm of rural life, the young girl begins to flourish. The Kinsellas, too, are changed by her presence. With a muted simplicity, Keegan captures the fragile ways trust is built and how love, even if not spoken aloud, can change everything. What’s left unsaid carries as much weight as what’s spoken.

St. Paul volunteer and member of the Book Corner selection team Rebecca Yerrington was moved by the emotional richness of Foster and the way its brief narrative stayed with her after the final page. For her, the story’s strength lies in its subtlety.

“People will enjoy reading Foster because for such a short novella, the detail and depth of emotion in the book are fantastic. What I took away most is that love takes many forms, as this story explores the developing of relationships in a unique and thought- provoking way.”

At only 92 pages, Foster is a quick read—but not a light one. It invites time to linger, to reflect, to wonder. It raises questions about family, belonging, loss, and the deep human need to be seen and known. With vivid imagery and masterful restraint, Keegan allows us to feel the tension, hope, and quiet ache of her characters.

Claire Keegan is widely regarded as one of Ireland’s finest contemporary writers. Known for her works Small Things Like These, Antarctica, and Walk the Blue Fields, she writes with a tenderness that stays with readers long after finishing her books.

This year’s guest presenter is with Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI) and focuses on the topic of foster care. LSI is a social ministry partner affiliated with ELCA congregations and a member of Lutheran Services in America.

“One of the things that first drew me to St. Paul was the openness to others’ ideas and the ability to consider various viewpoints,” Rebecca said. “This is exactly what will happen at this year’s All St. Paul Reads as we explore one individual’s experience through this book, but also learn more from our guest speaker about the current foster system, and how we can support fostering others.”

Mark your calendar: All St. Paul Reads
Sunday, Sept. 28, 3-4:30 p.m., Library Commons
All St. Paul Reads is encouragement for the congregation to read and talk about a single book title in the same year. Enjoy desserts and conversation with a guest presenter focused on foster care. Childcare will be available. The book is available in the St. Paul Book Corner. Sign up online. Contact: Andrea Spencer.