Brooklyn

By Colm Toibin

Brooklyn is a novel that takes place in 1950’s Ireland and Brooklyn. The main character is a Eilis Lacey, (pronounced Eyelish) a youg woman, who was born and raised in Enniscorthy a amall town in County Wexford, Ireland, and lives with her mother and older sister Rose. She has few prospects and no job, but a lot of hope. She meets Father Flood, a priest visiting from Brooklyn, who encourages her to move to America. He paves the way and in a short time she finds herself in a rooming house run by an Irish woman where several other young women live. She is offered a job in a department store owned by one of Father Flood’s parishioners.

Eilis finds Brooklyn strange and exhilarating. She is good with numbers and wants to be an accountant. The wonderfully helpful Father Flood arranges for her enroll in Brooklyn College where she goes at night to learn bookkeeping. She is a smart and serious young woman but unsure of herself.

On Friday evening there is a dance at the Parish Hall, and she goes reluctantly with two of the more mature borders, but leaves early. She decides not to go again, but her landlady asks her to take a new girl border to the Hall the next Friday. There Eilis meets Tony, a sweet, handsome young man who becomes her boyfriend. Tony is crazy about her.

Of course at some point in the relationship a hitch arises and Eilis has a crises…….Ireland or Brooklyn?

Eilis is an independent and honest young woman, but was unsure of this new life. I loved that Tony was a good, kind and very exuberant young man. He was helpful and sympathetic to her sadness. In the end, he stood with her and let her know he loved and respected her and would abide by any decision she made.

The novel was made into a movie that I saw a few years ago that really does the book justice. Brooklyn is a lovely slice of life that describes the heartbreak of so many young people bravely leaving Ireland for opportunity elsewhwere, especially the expansive opportunities in America and the decisions a young girl has to make to find her place in the world.