'Brooklyn' by Colm Tóibín - Book Review

Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín -- a critically acclaimed Irish novelist -- tells the story of a young woman from a small town in Ireland who leaves the world she’s known and moves to Brooklyn in the 1950s. Brooklyn is a compelling and poignant story of identity, transformation and family ties. This book should not be missed.

Eilis Lacey is the younger, less glamorous sister in her family; they live in a small town in Ireland and she works in a grocery store. Her family gathers the resources to send her to Brooklyn, in the United States, which promises better pay, more opportunities, and a world away from the people she’s known all her life.

Colm Tóibín’s latest novel, Brooklyn, comes off as a sweet story, although it has plenty of somber moments. Brooklyn provides a detailed portrayal of life in Ireland and life in Brooklyn in the 1950s, and the options available to a young woman from a modest Irish family. In this aspect, the novel is fascinating. It also packs a heavy emotional punch, confronting what it means to leave the world you’ve known and the family ties that bind.

Tóibín’s previous novels have been shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and as an author he has won critical praise. Brooklyn demonstrates that such praise is amply deserved. The novel’s story will resonate and stay with you, but it also offers the rare treat of being a book you can’t put down.