About the Book:
A novel of enormous wit and profound emotional resonance from one of the world's finest writers.
Eilis Lacey is Irish, married to Tony Fiorello, a plumber and one of four Italian American brothers, all of whom live in neighbouring houses on a cul-de-sac in Lindenhurst, Long Island, with their wives and children and Tony's parents. It is the spring of 1976 and Eilis, now in her forties with two teenage children, has no-one to rely on in this still-new country.
One day, an Irishman comes to the door asking for Eilis by name. He tells her that his wife is pregnant with Tony's child and that when the baby is born, he will not raise it but will leave it with her. Eilis has choices to make, and what she does in the wake of this shattering news is at the heart of one of Tóibín's most riveting and emotional novels to date.
Published by Pan Macmillan Australia
Released 30 April 2024
My Thoughts:
It's not often that a sequel lives up to its predecessor and can stand alone as a fine novel rather than a passable follow up. Long Island though, it's in a class of its own. I loved this one every bit as much as I loved Brooklyn.
In this story, we meet back up with Eilis twenty years on, living like a foreigner amongst her Italian family, a mother of older teenagers, a working wife. In the wake of the shocking news that her husband has not only had an affair but fathered a child, and the implicit expectation that this illegitimate child will be brought up by the family, Eilis returns to Ireland, for her mother's eightieth birthday, and to escape, to think, and decide what to do about the situation she has left at home.
I had so much empathy for Eilis throughout this novel and completely understood her refusal to have anything to do with her husband's illegitimate baby. The fact that she was even expected to entertain the idea of raising it incensed me. Upon her return to Ireland, she is reunited with her family members, friends, in particular her old best friend Nancy, and of course, Jim, the one she left behind.
You may think you know where this is headed but this story is so loaded and layered. It is an absolute minefield of emotion, and it digs deep into grief, loneliness, love, and loss with each of the central characters: Eilis, Nancy, and Jim. The story moves swiftly and is so engrossing. The ending, the inevitability of it, still came as a surprise. Long Island is a stunning novel. Fans of Brooklyn should rejoice. And then you'll start to weep, because this one contains all the feels.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
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