Every time I read about families who have sent their children away, I am aghast. The practice has been going on for many years. Usually it is for the 'good of the children.' Children in London during WWII were sent to the country for their safety. Other reasons were less obvious. Eisle was sent to Brooklyn because...there really was reason. There was no explanation. The story moved from sad to melancholy. In Brooklyn she thought about Ireland and wanted to be there. No sooner had she created a life in Brooklyn than she was back in Ireland. The ending was unsettling, but so characteristic of life. Lucidly written and clearly set to, I carried on reading it despite its predictability .the characters are never physically described, forcing the reader to almost create them. Each character presents Eils with a challenge, testing her independence. The move from Ireland makes her make decisions, tested only by time. However she lives with her decisions. It's all a bit perfect in places and needs drama and unpredictability. There's a huge absence of poverty that must have existed in NY and Ireland at the time., and too much contrived respectability. I felt that Eilis was sowing the sees for another novel....
What do You think about Brooklyn (2009)?
A bit depressing. But I love Colm Toibin's writing style - bare and beautiful.
—kdy
Enjoyable immigrant story. Nice change for the ending.
—Clare
The way we see the world changes as we change.
—puzzle
