"Brooklyn" by Colm Tóibín

Brooklyn follows the life of Eilis Lacey is a young woman who is unable to find work in 1950s Ireland. She emigrates to New York and takes up a job in a department store and undertakes night classes in book-keeping. Her initial experiences in a boring job and living in a repressive boarding house, run by the strict Madge Kehoe, make her have grave doubts about her decision. Eilis meets and falls in love with a young Italian plumber called Tony at the local Friday night dance and this leads to her first sexual encounter and some social consequences as they are overheard by her landlady.

Tony proposes marriage and allows Eilis to meet his family. Her sister Rose dies suddenly in her sleep in Ireland and she returns to Ireland. However she marries Tony secretly before she leaves. In Ireland she falls back into the village society easily and her mother is desperate for her to settle back in Ireland and marry a former beau Jim. Eilis procrastinates about a return to her new life by extending her stay and finding a temporary job. Eventually, local busy body, Miss Kelly, tells Eilis she knows of her secret marriage. At this point Eilis books her return passage, telling her mother and Jim the whole truth.

A bit Mills & Boon at times I think, although the vomit bucket Atlantic crossing scene and erect penile references would certainly not been included by M&B! [MG]

Toibin weaves in the changes in American society during the 1950s, such as Bartocci's acceptance of "coloured" customers, Long Island's suburban boom, and the invention of television.

BBC members mostly enjoyed the book, with someone commenting on “Wanting to stay with characters after it was finished”. It is sparely written and the spaces leave the readers open to imagination - plain glass not stained glass. The characters were thought to be finely drawn enough for you to love them. However the female BBC members didn’t like it as much as the male members. The men found it an authentic female voice, however the women didn’t. What’s that all about I wonder. There was also some discussion about how naïve was Eilis really … all rather deftly handled by Toibin in terms of how different the actions of people in the 50s may have been from what they actually thought.

Spiced up by a bit of hot (oh all right then “warm”) lesbian almost-action.

Scores were:

Raj 8.5
Kevin 8.5
Dennis 8
Andrew 8
Alena 6
Mary 7 .. “average book”! … don’t sugar coat it Mary!
Mark 8.5

Average 8

The next book will be Bowling Pin Fire, a collection of poetry by Andy Quan, selected by Kevin, who knows the author.