Brooklyn - Colm Toibin

I was compelled to purchased this book on my last trip to Chicago, after reading Simon's glowing review. In fact, Brooklyn was Simon's favorite book of 2009, and I wasn't going to let it slip through my fingers.

The story is an immigrant's tale, set in the 1950's. 20-something Eilis Lacey lives in her small Irish town, living with her widowed mother and vivacious and successful older sister. She willingly stands in the shadows of all around her, including her friends. She aspires to be a bookkeeper, and lives to please. Her life is disrupted when her sister and an American priest arrange for Eilis to travel to Brooklyn, where there are jobs and opportunities for girls with her work ethic and intelligence. Despite her inner doubts, she goes.

Eilis gets a job working for a department store. She goes to school at night to become a certified bookkeeper. She volunteers at church functions. She does as she is told. She meets a clean-cut Italian boy who adores her. She allows herself to be swept along by his love, and convinces herself she is a better person with him in her life. But when a family emergency calls her home to visit, she is faced with some tough choices. Does she continue to make her decisions based on what everyone else wants, or what is in her heart?

Like I said, this is the perfect story of an immigrant. One that could represent that of my husband, my great-grandparents, or our forefathers. In his gentle prose, Toibin paints a picture of hard work, the desire to succeed, the drive to be the best. It is the stuff this country was built on.

It is also a period piece. Toibin gives us a peek into post-war Americana - the chasm between the proper and the hip, the development of an urban society, and discrimination of Jews, Blacks, Italians and Irish in an immigrant melting pot. Mind you, these issues were just barely touched upon. Toibin could have developed this into an 800 page book. But he held back for the sake of simplicity.

Most importantly though, this is the story of a girl struggling with her coming of age. You admire her for her singular focus and determination, yet she can't quite seem to break free of this notion that she must follow the rules. I found it incredibly frustrating, yet I loved her just the same.

There has been much said about the ending of this book. Book clubs might debate it for hours. Is it satisfying? Is it what you expected? It is what you wanted? Is it realistic? My answers would be no, probably, no and yes. I truly wanted to cry from disappointment. I wanted to hunt down Toibin like Annie Wilkes, lock him in my house, and make him re-write the ending. I guess I have to respect him for his creative decisions, though. It was an otherwise subtle and beautiful novel.

4 out of 5 stars