I adored Brooklyn and was pleasantly surprised to learn that there would be a sequel. Even better, I won my only Goodreads giveaway by winning a copy of this book. The publisher also sent a copy of Brooklyn. I look forward to rereading it at some point.

Brooklyn ended so neatly and it did not need a sequel. I think some readers who liked Brooklyn would not necessarily like this sequel. It really upturns Tony and Eilis’s happy ending. As someone who was more neutral on Tony in Brooklyn, this novel does him and his family no favours. Having said that, I enjoyed the messiness and drama of Eilis’s Irish hometown relationships. I could not help root for a relationship even though I knew it would not end well. The pacing of this novel was unusual because while it was character driven, the reader sort of knows there are no simple, good solutions for the characters. The ending had a fitting resolution yet it was open ended too for Eilis. There was not enough Eilis who I really liked as a character. I am now hoping Tóibín writes a third book in this series. Very well written as before. It reminded me that I should read Nora Webster too.

Read June 3-4, 2024.