Long Island, by Irish writer Colm Tóibín explores some of the difficulties experienced by migrants in their new culture. Eilis, an Irish woman, settles in America and marries into an Italian family there. She is engulfed by the traditional requirements of her new family who adhere to old Italian ways of forming a tight and patriarchal family bond. When she rebels against this, she is quickly excluded from the formal Sunday family lunch. Her husband fails to defend her against her exclusion. She chooses not to leave him.
When she returns to Ireland temporarily to attend her mothers 80th birthday celebration she pairs up with Jim Farrell, an old flame who never married but is promised to a local widow whom they all know. The confusions, evasions and broken promises are eventually settled by a surprising twist by the widow. Eilis returns to America, still undecided about what she should do.
Could be made into a popular film script with the characters developed more fully.
When she returns to Ireland temporarily to attend her mothers 80th birthday celebration she pairs up with Jim Farrell, an old flame who never married but is promised to a local widow whom they all know. The confusions, evasions and broken promises are eventually settled by a surprising twist by the widow. Eilis returns to America, still undecided about what she should do.
Could be made into a popular film script with the characters developed more fully.
Our June book is The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
Meg Dillon
Meg Dillon
