Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín

I started reading this book and felt like I could carry on until the last page and even then I would have wanted more. The writing is superb, simply put it’s beautiful. No need for head scratching or reaching for dictionary just a plain yet meaningful use of the English language. Tóibín superbly conveys the main character, Eilis Lacey’s sentiments and the reader is able to experience everything she does, from the close family ties that she leaves behind in Ireland, to the newness of her experiences in Brooklyn, to the colourful characters she meets and their hopes and aspirations and perhaps the most poignant of all, the beautiful depiction of her feelings of loneliness and powerlessness at being so far from home.
Brooklyn gripped me from the start and I devoured every page of it. I was so drawn into the book that I found my heart beating faster as we reached a critical point in Eilis’ life where she’s faced with a difficult decision. At this point I had already formed my allegiances and I became irritated and even angry at her actions but I guess that is a testament to Tóibín’s talent.

To say the book is an easy read would be missing the point even if it is that….it is also so much more. Simply put, Brooklyn is a beautiful book that will make you want to go on an adventure, discover new things but most of all cherish home and family, these elements that we sometimes underestimate yet that often hold the key to our happiness.

Brooklyn: A Novel