Long Island by Colm Tóibín: A Sequel Set Two Decades After Brooklyn
Colm Tóibín’s latest novel, Long Island, serves as a sequel to his acclaimed 2009 book Brooklyn. Released on May 15, 2024, the narrative picks up two decades after Eilis Lacey's journey to America, exploring her life with Tony Fiorello and their two teenage children in suburban Long Island.
Eilis, now in her 40s, finds herself in a stifling, close-knit community surrounded by Tony’s Italian family. Her fragile peace is disrupted when an Irish customer of Tony’s reveals that his wife is pregnant with Tony’s child and threatens to abandon the baby on their doorstep.
Seeking refuge, Eilis decides to visit her mother in Ireland, using her mother’s 80th birthday as a pretext. Returning to Enniscorthy, she reconnects with Jim Farrell and her old friend Nancy, realizing that she has become an outsider in her hometown, marked by her different lifestyle and appearance.
Long Island delves into the private struggles of its characters, switching perspectives between Eilis, Jim, and Nancy. Tóibín masterfully encapsulates the tension and subtle dynamics of ordinary lives, crafting a sequel that stands robustly both as an independent story and a continuation of Brooklyn.
Long Island by Colm Tóibín is available for purchase from Picador.