Brooklyn

Okay, back from vacation. While away, I finished Brooklyn, by Colm Toibin. It's a story of a girl from Ireland that comes to Brooklyn in the 1950s for the work opportunities.

So, the main character, Eilis, is in her late teens/ early twenties when she moves to the US, and I loved the book's depiction of the actual moving process and how much having people you know helps. I've never moved from Ireland, I've never been across the Atlantic on a sealiner, I've never lived in Brooklyn, etc... but I still felt like this was an unvarnished, although PG-13 of what a young woman's experiences might be doing all of these things. After the actual move, the book delves into how she acclimates herself to life in America.

Alright, the verdict. I really, really liked this book. I loved the descriptions of Ireland, the travelling, the hope that she felt, the United States through Eilis's eyes... it was all interesting, refreshing, and enjoyable. It didn't change my life, but I would absolutely recommend it.

So there you go. Give it a shot, really! It was quite good. Lemme know what you think!