Brooklyn and Long Island by Colm Toibin (CULL-um Toe-BEAN)
(#1 and #2 in the Eilis Lacey Series)
I was glad to read two of this Irish author’s books for the sense of place–Enniscorthy, Ireland, Brooklyn, and Long Island, New York. Hearing an Irish accent from narrator/actor Jessie Buckley while I listened to Long Island was also a treat. A steady stream of gossip, and caring too much about what others think, were present in both books. Not surprisingly, both steer the plot heavily. Windows are not just for checking the weather.
Brooklyn follows Eilis (A-lish), the main character of both books, during the early years of her adult life. Her older sister and the local priest arrange for Eilis to immigrate to Brooklyn for a job and it never occurred her to disagree with their plans. The arrangements include living in a boarding home and working at a department store while taking night classes to become a bookkeeper. As she copes with homesickness and begins to acclimate to American culture, she meets and secretly marries an Italian man named Tony. Slowly, and with more confidence, she becomes someone who asserts herself and her own choices. The transformation is slow and satisfying.
Long Island begins with a 40-year-old Eilis and her two teenage children living in a cul-de-sac with her entire Italian family as her neighbors. A knock on the door from an Irish man she does not know, reveals that Tony will soon be the father of his wife’s child. Upon the birth, the baby will be deposited on Eilis’ doorstep for her to raise, no longer his problem. Eilis returns to Ireland for her mother’s 80th birthday and because her marriage is unraveling. Jim, a romantic interest from her past, is still on her mind and she arrives to Enniscorthy to find out that he has never married. All of the unspoken thoughts and feelings of Jim and Eilis make for several pages of angst and clandestine meetings that are never truly secret.
Eilis’ character is fascinating to me but the dialog and interior thoughts of unexpressed feelings and unanswered questions were sometimes plodding. I would encourage watching the movie Brooklyn for its clever and crisp dialog by Nick Hornby and wonder if the same filmmakers will want to adapt a less cheerful Long Island into a movie. If you are looking for a trip to rural Ireland, this could be your ticket but you may need a strong Irish whiskey to accompany your visit.
Tobin, Colm. Brooklyn. Scribner. 2009.
Tobin, Colm. Long Island. Scribner. 2024.
