Brooklyn
Colm Tóibín's Brooklyn (2009) is a historical romance and historical fiction novel. The story is set in Brooklyn, New York, N.Y. and Ireland, in the 20th century. Key subjects include Irish, women immigrants, Psychological and Homecoming.
Open Library readers give it an average of 3.6 out of 5 from 12 ratings, and 102 more have it on their want-to-read list. It has been published in 10 editions across 3 languages. It appeared on the New York Times Trade Fiction Paperback bestseller list in 2010.
At about 262 pages, most readers finish it in 4–5 hours.
About Brooklyn
In Ireland in the early 1950s, Eilis Lacey is one of many who cannot find work at home. Thus when a job is offered in America, it is clear to everyone that she must go. Leaving behind her family and country, Eilis heads for unfamiliar Brooklyn, and to a crowded boarding house where the landlady's intense scrutiny and the small jealousies of her fellow residents only deepen her isolation. Slowly, the pain of parting is buried beneath the rhythms of her new life -- and finally, she begins to realize that she has found a sort of happiness. As she falls in love, news comes from home that forces her back to Enniscorthy -- not to the constrictions of her old life, but to new possibilities which conflict deeply with the life she has left behind in Brooklyn.
Awards & lists
- 📰New York Times bestseller list — Trade Fiction Paperback, 2010
Quick answers
Who wrote Brooklyn?
Brooklyn was written by Colm Tóibín and first published in 2009.
What genre is Brooklyn?
It is usually shelved as Historical Romance and Historical Fiction.
How long is Brooklyn?
The median edition has 262 pages, about 4–5 hours of reading at 250 words per minute.
What books are similar to Brooklyn?
Readers who like it often enjoy Washington Square, The Great Gatsby and A Farewell to Arms.
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