My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Disclaimer – I watched the movie before I read the book (and loved the book even more!).

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin takes readers on a journey from Ireland to New York during the 1950s. The book is written in a melodic tone with such ease that I could not put it down; I yearned for more. Toibin has the ability to take everyday people and situations and bring out the extraordinary in them. Although there was nothing remarkable about the main character, I found her remarkable. The book is broken into four parts and I felt as though each part really could have been its own novel.

The story follows Eilis, a painfully ordinary young woman from a small town in Ireland, on the verge of being placed in a new world. Eilis leaves behind her mother and sister to travel to America and make a better life for herself. While in Brooklyn, she gets a job at a department store, takes night classes, and meets Tony, a charismatic Italian boy from a large family. After finally settling into her new life, she receives devastating news from Ireland that threatens to derail her. Should Eilis live the life she dreamed of in Brooklyn or the one she should have had in Ireland?

Recommended for those that like Jojo Moyes and Nora Roberts. This would make a perfect vacation read.



View all my reviews