I re-read Brooklyn in preparation for reading Long Island and I'm so glad I did. It was wonderful to revisit Eilis's life. The three POVs took me deeper into the complexities of the story and Toibin's signature abrupt ending has me hoping we'll get another book about what happens next!

Thanks to Scribner for the copy to review.

Absolutely wonderful! A must read. A fabulous conclusion to "Brooklyn". You want to know these people even if you don't always love them.

I found this book very hard to get into and stay interested.
I found. The characters rather lacking in depth and they just seemed to be going through the emotions,
I wanted to read the book based on its premise but even failed to catch my interest for long.

Complex and addictive follow up to Brooklyn, Eilis and Tony 20 years later, tight in the family nest, his family. Betrayals, lies, and secrets push everyone in unexpected directions and Eilis is back in Ireland, where new and old complications add to the angst. Top notch domestic drama will keep you turning the page.

Brooklyn is probably my favourite book by Toibin, so I was wary of a sequel, especially one written and released so many years after the first. To an extent, I read this as a separate, new, story (also because it has been a while since I read its predecessor). It's written in the author's trademark deft, sparse but evocative style and I finished it in a few hours of travel which should tell you something about how engrossing it was. I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if I had known there would be yet another book after it. For much of the last third, I kept wondering how all the narrative threads would be resolved with so few pages left. Not knowing that there was a massive cliffhanger. I now await the third book.

After loving Brooklyn, I couldn't wait to see what had transpired in the lives of Eilis, Tony and family far and wide.
It certainly was a page-turner with an ending to be interpreted by the reader. I, often, wonder, if that technique employed by an author is purposely employed to make the reader think and delve into what might happen or if the author can't quite figure it out definitively for themselves.
There certainly is a lot to discuss and ponder but not entirely to my satisfaction. Interesting but frustrating--

I really wanted to like this story more than I did. I cannot fault the structure or writing style. Just got bored .

I was more than excited to step back into the lives of Eilis and Tony in Colm Toibin's Long Island. These two characters have been a favorite of mine and I couldn't wait to be able to read the continuation of their story.
The settings were vividly written.
However, I felt a bit of a disconnect with the characters this time. Everything felt very indecisive, and I wished for a different ending. For me it was disappointing that the storylines never fully wrapped up.
Thank you to Scribner and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
3 out of 5 stars.

I loved revisiting Eilis's world a little more and seeing the house in Long Island. I think I will always be partial to Brooklyn, but if you loved it too you will enjoy Long Island.

What a masterfully written piece if fiction. An I tricate plot that is told in multiple viewpoints. Novel begins on Ling island and the pieces are sewed together in Ireland. Gorgeous. Not to missed!

In a sequel to Brooklyn, Eilis returns to Ireland amidst family drama in New York.

I loved Brooklyn and so I was very excited for this. After finishing it, I wish I’d never picked it up. First, I was so upset that we crafted this love story in Brooklyn only to have it shot down in the first chapter by an affair??? And there are other things we learn that undo some of the magic of Brooklyn. Then, she takes off to Ireland, which I was fine with, but I was expecting to be more love and passion with Jim but the writing was flat. And then the ending. I don’t even want to speak about it because I am so annoyed that it just leaves off with no conclusions. If you loved Brooklyn, I would suggest avoiding this one so that you don’t ruin a book you love.

I received my copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A worthy followup to Brooklyn. While it left me wanting to know more, I enjoyed reading about the characters and where life has taken them. I hope he writes more about Eilis!

I really loved this follow up to Brooklyn. Ugh, I hope there is another installment because I need to know what happens. I love his writing. Is there another book planned?!

Strong character development which is to be expected of Tobin. Although the book is not labeled as a mystery it was a mystery to me. One keeps trying to guess how the book will end. Which also demonstrates how involved I became with the characters. Don't want to say anything more and be a spolier.
Highly recommended.

Colm Tóibín is a master and I can’t wait to dive into his backlist. Long Island picks up where Brooklyn left off. We last saw Eilis Lacey leave Ireland and a man she was to marry — to go back to the United States. Eilis was already married to Tony, an Italian man who met her at an Irish dance hall and drew her into his life with his extended family.

In Long Island, Eilis and Tony have two teenaged children and live in Long Island with Tony’s extended family close by. At the very beginning of the book an Irish man comes to Eilis’ front door and drops a bomb on her. Tony is the father of a baby that this man’s wife is about to have. The man tells her he will be leaving the baby on her doorstep. Eilis, learning about Tony’s infidelity for the first time, refuses to allow the baby in her home or in the home of her extended family.

She heads back to Ireland for the first time in 20 years in the month or two before the baby is to be born.

The book traces Eilis’ life after she makes this decision concerning the baby her husband fathered. You will meet a lot of the characters that you grew to know in Brooklyn, with some cameos from Nora Webster (also on my TBR).

4.25 stars

I liked this book so much more than Brooklyn. So. Much. More. I had been putting off reading this because Brooklyn had been such a dud for me; I am so glad that I finally dove in and that it was way better than I had expected [such surprises are always welcome].

This would have been a five-star read for me but for two things; 1. the story gets bogged down a bit in the middle [with what I saw as unnecessary mundane things that didn't really add to the story - at least for me] and I got a bit restless with it and may or may not have tuned out a bit [and then found myself going back to relisten because I realized I had zoned out; the bestie read this before me and I am just never sure when there is going to be a quiz you know? LOL ;-) ] and 2. THAT. ENDING. W. T. H.?????? UGH!!!!! I am really unimpressed with that.

While I was singularly unimpressed with both Jim and Eilis's behavior [I cannot pretend I advocate that behavior ever being okay], I DID enjoy the growth we see in Eilis from the end of Brooklyn to now. How she stands up to Tony and her in-laws in the best way she knew how [I have lived that life and I shed many many tears reading those parts; while it seems that it doesn't make a difference, it does to Eilis because she is finally standing up for herself and what she wants and realizes just how awful they all have been to her for years] and refused to back down, even as she knew what the outcome would be regardless.

I am glad I finally read this - I do really enjoy this author and I should have just trusted in his writing, regardless of how I felt about Brooklyn.

Thank you to NetGalley, Colm Toibin, and Scribner for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Brooklyn is one of my all time favorite books. It gave me such a 'behind the scenes' look at my own Nana's journey which paralleled the story in many ways. I was excited yet nervous about Long Island, and while I didn't connect with it as I did Brooklyn, I enjoyed returning to these characters again.

I enjoyed returning to these characters but found the dialogue a bit stilted throughout. This seems like it must be part of a planned trilogy, so I hope for more resolution in a later installment.

This is the sequel to Colm Tóibín’s 2009 novel, Brooklyn. I have never read Brooklyn, but watched and fell in love with the HBO adaptation.

Long Island takes place about 20 years after Brooklyn. Although the publisher’s blurb gives the general premise, I don’t want to give it away to anyone who hasn’t read Brooklyn yet.
Overall, Long Island has a very different tone than Brooklyn. Whereas Brooklyn felt young and full of promise, Long Island is rather jaded and (dare I say?) middle-aged.

This doesn’t mean that Long Island isn’t a good read— I really enjoyed it and cannot wait for my book bestie to hurry up and finish so we can discuss.

a new book for irish fiction fans! as someone who loves the movie, i preferred the tony there lol. but a good book!