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Long Island

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Long Island

By: Colm Tóibín
Narrated by: Jessie Buckley
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About this listen

Read by Olivier Award winner and Oscar nominee, Jessie Buckley, and featuring an exclusive audio Q&A.

'Heartbreak, wistfulness, cracking dialogue . . . This is Tóibín at his best' - The Times
'A masterful novel full of longing and regret . . . Intensely moving and yet full of restraint' - Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie Bain

OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK
AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4


Long Island is Colm Tóibín’s masterpiece: an exquisite, exhilarating audiobook that asks whether it is possible to truly return to the past and renew the great love that seemed gone forever. The sequel to Colm Tóibín's prize-winning, bestselling novel Brooklyn.

A man with an Irish accent knocks on Eilis Fiorello’s door on Long Island and in that moment everything changes. Eilis and Tony have built a secure, happy life here since leaving Brooklyn - perhaps a little stifled by the in-laws so close, but twenty years married and with two children looking towards a good future.

And yet this stranger will reveal something that will make Eilis question the life she has created. For the first time in years she suddenly feels very far from home and the revelation will see her turn towards Ireland once again. Back to her mother. Back to the town and the people she had chosen to leave behind. Did she make the wrong choice marrying Tony all those years ago? Is it too late now to take a different path?

©2024 Colm Tóibín (P)2024 Macmillan Publishers International Limited
Best of 2024 City Life Family Life Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Urban World Literature Ireland Heartfelt Island

Critic reviews

Long Island is the best new novel I’ve read in years – and it’s as persuasive an argument in defence of the unique capability of the novel form as you could ever hope to find (Megan Nolan)
A brilliant novel . . . it is beautifully crafted and makes for a riveting, wonderful read (Elizabeth Strout)
Heartbreak, wistfulness, cracking dialogue . . . This is Tóibín at his best (Robbie Millen)
Morally and pscyhologically meaty . . . Engrossing, truthful and humane, [Long Island] is a magnificent achievement (Johanna Thomas-Corr)
A masterful and uproariously entertaining book, glittering with all of Toibin's intelligence and humane wit, as compelling, passionate and quietly enigmatic as its unforgettable protagonist Eilis Lacey (Colin Barrett, author of Wild Houses)

One of Buckley's narrating gifts is her ability to project Lacey's silences. She allows intimate conversations to unfold with quiet immediacy. The result is a performance that fits perfectly the humanity of Tóibín's cast. It is so winning and full of depth that the most evocative passages stand alone as their own moments. Listeners can't help but be drawn close. - AudioFile

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loved the audio version of this book,felt I knew all the characters personally and enjoyed Jessie Buckley reading it.Nothing to dislike

The Characters

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Another brook by Colm Tobin. Can be read alone with no detriment. The narrator has done a similarly good interpretation. .

Superb

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Amazing narration and a wonderful story. I hugely enjoyed listening to Long Island. Jessie Buckley is a fantastic narrator.

Brilliant

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The narration of this wonderful novel is absolutely superb.Jessie Buckley seems effortlessly to move from character to character and the listener knows immediately who is talking.My favourite was Mrs Lacey as she reminded me of my Irish grandmother.

Brilliant novel and narration

A triumph for Jessie Buckley

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love Colm Toibin love Jessie Buckley so this was a match made in heaven for me...I do love the simplicity of his stories and the way there is no explanation of things ..ending was abrupt and I was not expecting it ...I wonder if there a part 3

simplicity

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A wonderfully crafted story with rich well created cast of characters struggling with big decisions among strong family pressures. Enjoyed every minute

Glorious narration

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Loved everything about this book, the images that the writer created were so familiar and so relatable. Best book by far on audible to date.

Incredible writing that Jessie Buckley brought to life!

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This is a tremendously accomplished follow up to 'Brooklyn' and also a brilliant stand alone novel. The Irish - American settings really come to life as do the characters, their emotions and relationships. A complex love triangle is at the heart of the story and right up to the end it was impossible to predict the outcome - so no spoilers from me. My advice is to dive in and bathe in the glory of beautiful storytelling that is read with absolute perfection by Jessie Buckley.

Wonderful

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The sad ending, but really expected… I loved the book! And the way it weaves a fantastic story

The sadness and missed communication

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A lovely continuation of the Brooklyn story - and it’s not finished yet! What will Jim do?

Good interpretation of the characters by the reader

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