"Foster" is a

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most novelettes and short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) ...

by Irish author Claire Keegan, published in 2010.

Plot

In 1981 Ireland, County Wexford, an unnamed girl is sent to live with

foster parents Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home (residential child care community or treatment centre), or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent", or with a family member ...

on a farm, while her mother gives birth. She has no notion of when she will return home. In the strangers' house, she finds affection she has not known before, and slowly she begins to blossom in their care. She learns that her foster parents, the Kinsellas, had a deceased son. At the end of the summer, she returns home to her family.

Reception

"Foster" has received a very positive reception, winning the 2009 Davy Byrne's Irish Writing Award (it was submitted for the award prior to publication). ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'' compared it to the work of

Seamus Heaney Seamus Justin Heaney (13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish Irish poetry, poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature. Among his best-known works is ''Death of a Naturalist'' (1966), his first m ...

and

William Trevor William Trevor Cox (24 May 1928 – 20 November 2016) was an Irish novelist, playwright, and short story writer. One of the elder statesmen of the Irish literary world, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest contemporary writers of sho ...

, while ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' called it "Among the finest stories written recently in English." Recognition of the literary merit of Foster was reflected in its inclusion as a text prescribed for comparative study by the Department of Education and Training (An Roinn Oideachais agus Scoileanna) for the syllabus of the English

Leaving Certificate A secondary school leaving qualification is a document signifying that the holder has fulfilled any secondary education requirements of their locality, often including the passage of a final qualification examination. For each leaving certificate ...

examination in Ireland.

Adaptation

An audio version of "Foster" was broadcast on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

's "Afternoon Reading" on 9 March 2015, read by Irish actress

Evanna Lynch Evanna Patricia Lynch (born 16 August 1991) is an Irish actress and activist. She is best known for portraying Luna Lovegood in the ''Harry Potter'' film series. Born in County Louth, Ireland, Lynch made her film debut in '' Harry Potter and ...

. In 2022, a film version was released in the

Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...

: '' An Cailín Ciúin'', starring Catherine Clinch and

Carrie Crowley Caroline Anne Crowley (born 23 May 1964) is an Irish actress and former radio and television presenter. She had her own chat show, ''Limelight'', and co-presented the Eurovision Song Contest 1997 with Ronan Keating. Her acting credits include ...

. In 2023, the film was nominated for an

Academy Award for Best International Feature Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

References

{{reflist Short stories by Claire Keegan 2010 short stories Historical short stories Irish short stories Short stories set in the 1980s Short stories set in Ireland