Brooklyn: A Novel by Colm Toibin
I listened to the audio version of this book, with appropriate Irish accents for many of the characters, something I would have lost if just reading. I might not have enjoyed the book as much as I did without those accents.
Even with the accents I have mixed feelings. The story follows Eilis Lacey, a young Irish girl, as she goes from Ireland to Brooklyn in the early 1950s in search of opportunities she won’t find at home. Her struggles seem very familiar, both internal and external, including her feelings about a young man she meets. When she returns home for a visit, her internal struggles escalate.
The cast of characters is appealing, although Eilis, the protagonist, is not, particularly. Still, the book is a nice look into the post-war Irish immigrant experience, and so for that reason I’m glad I read it.
