Long Island

By: Colm Toibin

Narrated by: Jessie Buckley

Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK * Named a Most Anticipated Book by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Financial Times, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Good Housekeeping, AARP, and more.

From the beloved, critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author comes a spectacularly moving and intense novel of secrecy, misunderstanding, and love, the story of Eilis Lacey, the complex and enigmatic heroine of Brooklyn, Tóibín’s most popular work twenty years later.

Eilis Lacey is Irish, married to Tony Fiorello, a plumber and one of four Italian American brothers, all of whom live in neighboring houses on a cul-de-sac in Lindenhurst, Long Island, with their wives and children and Tony’s parents, a huge extended family that lives and works, eats and plays together. 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. Though her ties to Ireland remain stronger than those that hold her to her new land and home, she has not returned in decades.

One day, when Tony is at his job and Eilis is in her home office doing her accounting, an Irishman comes to the door asking for her 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 instead deposit it on Eilis’s doorstep. It is what Eilis does—and what she refuses to do—in response to this stunning news that makes Tóibín’s novel so riveting.

Long Island is about longings unfulfilled, even unrecognized. The silences in Eilis’ life are thunderous and dangerous, and there’s no one more deft than Tóibín at giving them language. This is a gorgeous story of a woman alone in a marriage and the deepest bonds she rekindles on her return to the place and people she left behind, to ways of living and loving she thought she’d lost.

©2024 Colm Toibin (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

Stunning in every way

Incredible novel, stellar performance by Jessie Buckley. The shifting perspectives and shifting sympathies you feel are the thing I most admire. So masterfully handled by the author.

Loved reading about Ellis again. But...it just...ends.

As a massive lover of Brooklyn, I enjoyed the 20yr look ahead with Long Island and was listening super intently, on the edge of my seat at certain points. I even got used to the narrators somewhat distracting New York accent (she did her absolute best! I just found it funny). But overalll I feel like we're left to wondee what will happen, and. I feel a bit shortchanged. I recall feeling the same at the end of Brooklyn. Maybe the eventual screenwriters of the Long Island film adaptation will fix improve the ending like they did with the Brooklyn screenplay! We'll see!

Jessie Buckley is a spectacular reader, giving voice to so many different characters...

I listened to Brooklyn (I'd seen the movie some years ago) to refresh my memory of the characters and story. Brooklyn was read by a different person. The pronunciation of the main character differed in the two. That was a tad annoying but the writing is so good it ceased to be an issue after awhile. Quite an enjoyable listen. The novel version of Brooklyn is much better than the wonderful film. There is too much interior life and dialogue which simply can't be captured in film.
I grew up in NY (graduated high school on Long Island) and have visited Ireland. Jessie Buckley was able to completely nail New York/Long Island Italian American accents as well as (of course) her native Irish dialects.

Wanted more closure

Moderator was great story needed more development of characters. I did not read the first book that may have helped.

A great pairing!

Colm Toibin and Jesse Buckley together create an imaginary Enniscorthy that is detailed enough to be believable. The characters’ interiorities reveal their complicated thoughts and desires, their
actions give us only the tip of their icebergs. Truth and human folly intertwine in a way we can all recognize. Beautiful language as well!

Beautiful, insightful story

This followup to Brooklyn can stand alone - it's perfectly enjoyable even if you have not read Brooklyn. Hard for this female to believe this is the work of a man! The characters are very well drawn through description and especially the dialog. The reader is excellent, and brings the cast distinctly and fully to life.

Didn't like the ending

liked the book overall but was shocked the way it ended, left me feeling like what the hell!

Ireland

Hated the ending, so many things were left unresolved. I didn't like that at all.

Incredible sequel

I was delighted to hear of this sequel after how much I loved Brooklyn and this book didn’t disappoint. It was so beautifully written and captivating melancholy. The audiobook narration was excellent.

Great story telling

From the first chapter, I’m haunted by the characters. Each unfolding in subtle ways. The story captures cultural tendencies of Irish and Italian at a time, in the not too distant past, when we were all more closely tied to family and cultural identity. The narration is also very enjoyable.