A review by sadiey
Long Island by Colm Tóibín

5.0

Loved this story! I started listening to it before I realized it was a sequel to Brooklyn, which was a movie I'd seen years ago. The book stands on its own without having to read the first one. One theme that really stood out was the utter lack of privacy in both the Italian family dynamic as well as the Irish village. My word, are people in small villages really that rude and nosy and judgey? I was so angry on behalf of poor Eilis at the smug, manipulative way she's treated by her in-laws. Grrr.... Despite the star-crossed lover aspect, I don't really consider this a love story. I was rooting for Eilis to be happy but couldn't see a path forward to that end. Like life, everything is a tradeoff.