Long Island - Book Reading Guide with Ending Explained

long island book reading guide and discussion

Summary and ending explained for Long Island by Colm Tóibín, released by Scribner on May 7, 2024. This is a sequel to Tóibín’s 2009 novel Brooklyn, in which we follow Eilis Lacey’s journey as she moves from Ireland to America.

Long Island by Colm Tóibín

Long Island picks up 20 years later, when Eilis returns to Ireland facing personal troubles. Her husband, Tony Fiorello, is having a child with another woman, and though Eilis doesn’t want to raise the baby, Tony’s family pressures her to do so. Back in her hometown of Enniscorthy, Eilis rekindles a romance with Jim Farrell.

Jim has been waiting for another chance with Eilis, but his complicated relationship with her widowed best friend, Nancy Sheridan, makes things difficult. The novel deals with themes like loneliness, the challenges of living in a small town, and the conflict between personal desires and responsibilities.

Release date: May 23, 2024
Genre: Women’s Literary Fiction
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Picador

Colm Tóibín Author Biography

Colm Tóibín is an acclaimed Irish author born on May 30, 1955, in Enniscorthy, County Wexford. Known for his novels, essays, and short stories, Tóibín explores themes of Irish society, identity, and exile. His notable works include The Master, Brooklyn, and The Magician.

Tóibín has won prestigious awards such as the International Dublin Literary Award and the Folio Prize. He has taught creative writing at institutions including the University of Manchester and Columbia University, and served as Chancellor of the University of Liverpool. Tóibín currently resides in Dublin and Los Angeles.

Q&A with Colm Toibin

Q: The ending of “Long Island” has a particularly fast pace. Was this always part of your plan, or did it develop during the writing process?

A: The swift pace toward the end was part of the plan. As characters face the climax of their indecision, they must eventually make decisive choices. The end of the book reflects a shift from prolonged indecision to a pivotal moment where Alish makes a significant decision. This change in pace emphasizes the urgency and consequences of her actions, bringing the story to a powerful conclusion.

Q: In Long Island, there’s a dinner scene that highlights Alish’s outsider status in her new family. Can you elaborate on this dynamic?

A: The dinner scene illustrates how Alish, as an outsider in her new Italian-American family, struggles to fit in. The family’s shorthand and language of love make her feel alienated. Her outsider status is further emphasized when she has a disagreement with her father-in-law over the Vietnam War. This argument highlights her sense of not belonging and the subtle but significant barriers between her and the family.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for the opening scene of “Long Island”?

A: The idea for the opening scene came to me unexpectedly while walking down the street. I wanted to create a plot-driven narrative where an initial action would have far-reaching consequences, similar to Thomas Hardy’s approach in “The Mayor of Casterbridge.” The initial event had to be something that would inevitably influence the rest of the story, creating a new dynamic rather than just extending the previous book’s storyline.

Long Island by Colm Tóibín Summary

One day, an Irishman shows up at Eilis’s door on Long Island and says that his wife is pregnant with Eilis’s husband’s baby. He plans to leave the baby with Eilis when it’s born in August. Later that night, Eilis asks her husband Tony if the man is telling the truth. Tony admits that he is and apologizes for not telling her sooner. Eilis says she doesn’t want the baby and doesn’t want it in her home.

Worried that her mother-in-law, Francesca, will try to overrule her, Eilis meets with Tony’s brother, Frank, who is also her lawyer. Frank tells Eilis that Francesca already knows about the baby and is trying to adopt it, with plans for Francesca to raise it. Francesca often tries to make difficult situations seem normal to keep the peace, and soon she talks to Eilis about the baby, asking what she wants to do. Eilis realizes Francesca is trying to make her seem like the bad guy and insists that she doesn’t want the baby around.

Eilis gets a letter from her mother in Ireland, who is about to turn 80. Her mother mentions everyone in town except Jim Farrell. Years ago, after Eilis’s sister Rose died, Eilis had returned to Ireland and fell in love with Jim, even though she was secretly married to Tony. When she left to marry Tony, Jim was heartbroken. Now, Eilis decides to visit her mother in Ireland for advice about the baby. She tells her teenage children, Larry and Rosella, about the baby, and they decide to join her halfway through her trip.

Nancy Sheridan, Eilis’s former best friend, now runs a chip shop in Enniscorthy. She converted it from the market she once ran with her late husband. When drunk customers bother her, she calls Jim Farrell from his pub to handle the situation. Nancy and Jim are secretly involved, keeping their relationship quiet because they don’t want to overshadow Nancy’s daughter’s upcoming wedding. Nancy wants to move away with Jim, leaving their businesses behind, but she hasn’t told him yet.

One day, Eilis visits Nancy, and as they catch up, Nancy notices that Eilis doesn’t mention her husband. When Eilis asks if Jim ever got married, Nancy lies and says Jim is seeing someone in Dublin.

Eilis buys new appliances for her mother, but her mother, still upset with Eilis for moving to America, refuses to accept them. She is very critical of Eilis and uninterested in her American life. To escape her mother’s harshness, Eilis takes a walk through town and briefly passes by Jim Farrell. Jim is surprised to see Eilis and is hurt that no one told him she was back. He recalls the pain of her departure and the gossip he endured afterward. He felt very lonely for years and only found comfort with Nancy. Jim spends the night thinking about Eilis and even walks by her house.

Nancy arranges a ride with Jim to Dublin so she can try on wedding dresses for her daughter’s wedding. She worries about whether people will see them together and if Jim will be uncomfortable with their close company. While trying on dresses, Nancy confides in a saleswoman about Jim and her dream of getting married in Rome. The saleswoman convinces her to buy a wedding dress, and Nancy leaves feeling more hopeful and confident about her future with Jim.

Eilis’s mother keeps bothering her, so Eilis escapes for a night alone at her brother’s seaside cottage in Cush. It’s the first time she’s ever been alone, and she thinks about her children back home. She also remembers leaving Tony at the airport and how she wanted to confront him but couldn’t because his sadness stopped her. She left him behind without looking back.

Meanwhile, Jim wants to marry Nancy but is frustrated by their secretive plans. He wants to see Eilis once more before she goes back to America. He learns from Eilis’s brother that she is staying in Cush to avoid their mother. Jim finds Eilis on the beach, but their talk is brief and straightforward.

At Nancy’s daughter’s wedding, Nancy feels torn between her future with Jim and her past with her late husband George. She sees Jim talking to Eilis but doesn’t think much of it, even when she hears that Jim was seen in Cush. At the end of the night, Nancy looks for Jim to go home with him but can’t find him, even though his car is still at the reception.

Eilis tries to avoid Jim at the wedding to not attract attention. Despite this, Jim finds her and asks her to meet him at his apartment. Later, Jim asks for a ride home, saying he’s had too much to drink, and suggests she drop him off and visit him later. Eilis agrees, and when she meets him, they talk late into the night. Jim regrets not pursuing her before and invites her to spend a night with him in Dublin before her children arrive. Eilis says she’ll think about it.

Nancy talks to Father Walsh about her plans to marry Jim. Afterward, she looks for Jim but learns he’s in Dublin and won’t be back that day. She then searches for Eilis and finds out she’s also in Dublin. Nancy thinks this is odd but doesn’t worry too much.

On the way back from the airport, Eilis warns Rosella and Larry not to tell their grandmother too much about their father. She remembers her time with Jim, who said he would come to America with her. Mrs. Lacey shows more interest in the kids but warns Larry not to share too much. Rosella later tells Eilis that Larry told everything to their grandmother, making Eilis anxious. She tries to call Jim to ask for more time but ends up saying nothing. Jim decides he will follow Eilis if she wants him to, but will stay with Nancy if she doesn’t.

Nancy starts looking for land to build a house and finds a plot owned by an old acquaintance. She tells the woman about Jim, and although Jim isn’t excited about the land, he doesn’t reject it. Eilis’s other brothers arrive for their mother’s birthday, and her wealthy brother Jack offers to buy a house for Eilis. Eilis puts off telling Jim she needs time until she gets a letter from Francesca, which includes a picture of Tony’s new baby and says the baby is part of the family.

Eilis calls Jim and meets him in Cush, where she tells him she plans to leave Tony. She invites him to come to America with her, but he’ll have to wait until her divorce is finalized. Jim says he’d rather face challenges in America than wait in Ireland and confesses his love for her. Eilis responds that she loves him too.

Later that day, Nancy searches for Jim again but can’t find him. When she returns home, Eilis’s son tells her that Eilis is in Cush. Remembering that Jim was last seen in Cush, Nancy drives there and sees Jim and Eilis kissing on the beach. Furious, she rushes back to town, puts on her old engagement ring, and announces to Mrs. Lacey and the town that she’s engaged to Jim Farrell.

When Eilis gets home, Rosella informs her that their mother has booked a flight back to Long Island with them. Eilis realizes her mother must have gone through her suitcase and found the ticket and Francesca’s letter. Eilis tries to persuade her mother not to come, but her mother reveals she knows everything, including Jim and Nancy’s engagement. Eilis tries to call Jim, but he doesn’t answer. She goes to his pub to find him.

Jim returns to his pub and starts packing his things. Nancy soon arrives and makes an excuse about why she announced their engagement early. She avoids mentioning Eilis, and Jim doesn’t bring it up either. They agree to celebrate at midnight. After Nancy leaves, Eilis arrives and confronts Jim about not telling her about Nancy. They discuss what Jim might do if he calls her in the future while in New York. Eilis says nothing and leaves. Jim, left alone, feels uncertain and waits for Nancy at midnight, hoping he will figure things out by the next day.

What happens at the end of Long Island the book?

As Jim and Eilis grow closer and plan their future together, they both reflect on how loneliness has shaped their lives. Jim waited over 20 years after Eilis left him to start a new relationship, often not recognizing his own loneliness. Eilis, on the other hand, feels increasingly isolated in her marriage to Tony. His close-knit family makes her feel like an outsider.

She describes her living situation: “I live in a sort of enclosure with four houses. Tony’s two brothers and their families each have a house, and my parents-in-law have the fourth. It sounded like a great idea. It’s been good for the kids and very safe. But it hasn’t been good for me” (259).

Eilis highlights the gap between the ideal of a supportive family compound and the reality of her isolation. Her use of “enclosure” suggests that this arrangement feels more like a prison to her. She realizes that, despite being surrounded by family, she has felt alone. This loneliness influences her decision to pursue Jim, as she doesn’t want to face the Fiorello family on her own.

Though Eilis and Jim manage to keep their relationship secret for a while, Nancy eventually discovers it. She becomes suspicious when she notices Jim and Eilis missing at the same times and catches them kissing on the beach in Cush.

Believing that Jim might leave her for Eilis, Nancy puts on an engagement ring and announces their engagement to manipulate the situation: “The reason she had put on the engagement ring was not to impress the town. That could wait. The engagement ring was for Eilis Lacey to hear about” (289). Nancy hopes to scare Eilis away by making her think Jim is already committed. She believes that if the town hears about their engagement, Jim will be pressured to stay with her and not confront Nancy. Nancy uses the town’s gossip to end Eilis and Jim’s relationship and secure her own future.

In Part 7, as the story concludes on Long Island, Jim faces challenges from both women. Nancy pretends not to know about Jim’s relationship with Eilis, while Eilis directly asks him about Nancy. Jim struggles to balance his feelings for Eilis with his promises to Nancy: “He wanted to let her know that everything he had said this morning was still true. He wanted to follow her to America. But if he said that, she could ask him to tell her what he had promised Nancy. Did that still hold? Was that still true?” (292).

Jim is caught between his desire for Eilis and his obligations to Nancy. He worries that if Eilis knew he had broken his promises to Nancy, she might lose respect for him. Jim’s struggle to choose between Eilis and Nancy reflects his inner conflict between personal desire and social responsibility.

Does Eilis leave Tony in Long Island?

Eilis does not leave Tony in Long Island. Throughout the book, Eilis faces several challenges, including the unexpected arrival of Tony’s child from another woman and her complicated feelings about Jim Farrell. Despite these difficulties, she does not decide to leave Tony.

For instance, the plot shows that Eilis is deeply troubled by the child and has to handle the situation with her in-laws, particularly Francesca. Even though she has a significant emotional struggle, including her interactions with Jim, there’s no clear decision in the summary indicating that she plans to leave her husband.

In the discussion about the book, many readers expressed their mixed feelings about the ending. Some felt the story ended too abruptly and were disappointed by the lack of resolution. Others speculated that Eilis might choose to stay in Long Island and build a new life there, given her established safety nets like her job and her brother’s support. While the ending leaves things open to interpretation, there is no concrete evidence from the book that Eilis decides to leave Tony.

So, although Eilis is dealing with significant personal dilemmas and emotional conflicts, the book does not provide a clear resolution showing her leaving Tony behind.

Long Island Characters Analysis

Character	Role	Development
Eilis Lacey	Protagonist	Eilis evolves significantly from Brooklyn to Long Island. In the sequel, she is a more mature woman grappling with her past and present. Her return to Ireland forces her to confront unresolved feelings and her identity. She faces major decisions about her future, reflecting her growth and complexity. Her emotional struggles with Tony’s secret and her relationship with Jim highlight her internal conflict and development.
Tony Fiorello	Eilis’s husband	Tony is portrayed as a loving but flawed husband who has a significant secret—a child from another relationship. His actions, particularly the concealment of this secret, reveal his complexity and the strain on his marriage with Eilis. His character development revolves around his attempts to reconcile with Eilis and manage family expectations.
Jim Farrell	Eilis’s former love interest	Jim’s development is marked by his ongoing feelings for Eilis and his current relationship with Nancy. He struggles with his past love for Eilis while trying to move forward with his life. His decision to reach out to Eilis and his subsequent actions reflect his internal conflict and unresolved emotions.
Nancy Sheridan	Jim’s current partner and Eilis’s former friend	Nancy is a supportive character who is involved in a secret relationship with Jim. Her development shows her desire for stability and happiness, often at the expense of honesty. She is portrayed as determined to build a new life with Jim despite the complications involving Eilis.
Francesca Fiorello	Tony’s mother	Francesca is a key figure in the family dynamics, particularly in relation to Tony’s child. Her attempts to incorporate the child into the family, despite Eilis’s resistance, highlight her manipulative and controlling nature. Her actions reveal her complex role in maintaining family harmony.
Frank Fiorello	Tony’s brother and Eilis’s lawyer	Frank acts as a mediator between Eilis and Tony’s family. His role in revealing Tony’s secret and his professional and personal interactions with Eilis underscore his importance in the story. His development is seen in his efforts to balance family loyalty with legal and ethical responsibilities.
Eilis’s Mother	Eilis’s mother in Ireland	Eilis’s mother is initially critical and distant, reflecting her disappointment and anger over Eilis’s departure to America. However, as the story progresses, she shows more warmth, particularly towards Eilis’s children, indicating a change in her attitude and acceptance of Eilis’s life choices.

Critical Reviews of the Book

Brooklyn and Long Island . . . capture the decency and ordinariness of the characters as well as the deep emotional ruptures that drive them toward disorder. The confrontations between these people, so long delayed, feel momentous and hugely affecting. These pendant novels, I think, will be the fiction for which this wonderful writer is best remembered. ― Wall Street Journal

You don’t have to have read Brooklyn to enjoy the many pleasures of Long Island. It is a masterful novel full of longing and regret. A tale of lovers reconnecting, of compromise, and the settling that can come later in life. Intensely moving and yet full of restraint, I was sad to turn the final page — Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie Bain

Tóibín is the consummate cartographer of the private self, summoning with restrained acuity (and a delicious streak of sly humour) the thoughts his characters struggle to find words for . . . [Long Island is] the work of a writer at the height of his considerable powers, a story of ordinary lives that contains multitudes. — Clare Clark ― Guardian

First in Brooklyn, and now in Long Island, Tóibín has conducted an exhilarating masterclass in extract the maximum effect from the minimum of prose, with the leanest and cleanest narrative line . . . His gifts are so remarkable — Robert McCrum ― Independent

Books like Long Island

The Coast Road by Alan Murrin

It’s 1994 in County Donegal, Ireland, and everyone is talking about Colette Crowley – the writer, the bohemian, the woman who left her husband and sons to pursue a relationship with a married man in Dublin. But now Colette is back, and nobody knows why.

Returning to the community to try and reclaim her old life, Colette quickly learns that they are unwilling to give it back to her. The man to whom she is still married is denying her access to her children, and while the legalisation of divorce might be just around the corner, Colette finds herself caught between her old life and the freedom for which she risked everything. Desperate to see her children, she enlists the help of Izzy, a housewife and mother of two, and the women forge a friendship that will send them on a spiralling journey – one toward a path of self-discovery, and the other toward tragedy.

Brilliantly observed from a sharp new literary talent, The Coast Road is a novel about a closed community and the consequences of daring to move against the tide.

Caledonian Road by Andrew O’Hagan

From the author of Mayflies, an irresistible, unputdownable, state-of-the-nation novel – the story of one man’s epic fall from grace.

Campbell Flynn – art historian and celebrity pundit – is entering the empire of middle age. Fuelled by an appetite for controversy and novelty, he doesn’t take people half as seriously as they take themselves. Which will prove the first of his huge mistakes.

The second? Milo Mangasha, his beguiling and provocative student. Milo inhabits a more precarious world. He has experiences and ideas that excite his teacher. He also has a plan.

Over the course of an incendiary year a web of secrets and crimes will be revealed, and Campbell Flynn may not be able to protect himself from the shattering exposure of all his privilege really involves. But then, he always knew: when his life came tumbling down, it would occur in public.

Table For Two by Amor Towles

Amor Towles fans are in for a treat as he shares some of his shorter fiction: six stories based in New York City and a novella set in Golden Age Hollywood.

The New York stories, most of which take place around the year 2000, consider the fateful consequences that can spring from brief encounters and the delicate mechanics of compromise that operate at the heart of modern marriages.

In the novella, ‘Eve in Hollywood’, Towles returns to one of the characters at the heart of his debut novel Rules of Civility: the indomitable Evelyn Ross, who leaves New York City in September 1938 with the intention of returning home to Indiana. But as her train pulls into Chicago, where her parents are waiting, she instead extends her ticket to Los Angeles. Told from multiple points of view, ‘Eve in Hollywood’ describes how Towles’ heroine crafts a new future for herself and others in a noirish tale that takes us through the movie sets, bungalows and dive bars of Los Angeles.

Written with wit, humour and sophistication, Table for Two is a glittering and stylish offering from the author of A Gentleman in Moscow, The Lincoln Highway and Rules of Civility.

Most Memorable Long Island Quotes

“In one flash, an image of her elder sister, Rose, dead now more than twenty years, came
into her mind. All through her childhood, even in the smallest crisis, she could appeal to Rose,
who would take control.”
(Part 1, Chapter 1, Page 6)

“‘There are no circumstances under which I am going to look after a baby. It is your
business, not mine’ ‘Maybe you don’t want to be,’ he said softly, ‘but you are married to me.’”
(Part 1, Chapter 3, Page 21)

“In all the years, they had shared a bed every night except when Eilis was having the
children. She remembered that after Larry’s birth, which was difficult, she had to stay some
extra days in the hospital. When Tony heard the news, he was forlorn. He wanted her back
home.”
(Part 1, Chapter 5, Page 51)

“When Eilis had gone, Nancy felt a sudden resentment against her for how she had treated
them all, never giving them any explanation of why she had to go back to America, fooling
them for that whole summer.”
(Part 2, Chapter 1, Page 71)

“Soon his mother came with the same story, to be followed by another in which Eilis had
left because her husband had come from America to get her. It was incredible, he thought,
that it took time to convince even his mother that there was not truth in any of the stories.”
(Part 2, Chapter 3, Page 94)

“[S]he realized that it was Jim she was worried about. Even if their trip to Dublin together
was furtive, even if he would not be accompanying her down Grafton Street or going for a
walk with her in Stephen’s Green, she would be traveling with him. He would watch her getting
in and out of the car.”
(Part 3, Chapter 1, Pages 111 – 112)

“The heat coming from the sandy ground brought her back to those Sundays, her father
still wearing his suit, her brothers carrying their hurley sticks, hoping to find others who might
play with them on the strand.”
(Part 3, Chapter 2, Page 128)

My Thoughts About the Book

If you enjoyed “Brooklyn,” you’ll likely appreciate its sequel. It’s like reconnecting with an old friend after many years. Eilis is now a more mature woman, and you’ll be curious to see how she’s adjusting in the USA and what her future might bring.

However, if you haven’t read “Brooklyn,” you might not be as invested. The sequel follows Colm Toibin’s usual journalistic style, sticking closely to neutrality—except for a rare moment in part 6 where Eilis’s character is more clearly revealed. While this small shift in tone is interesting, some might find it a bit jarring.

Additionally, the author uses a few clichéd plot devices and convenient coincidences to drive the story forward. And, as with his previous work, Toibin leaves the ending open, suggesting a potential sequel. While this might be exciting, it also means we’re left with lingering questions and anticipation for what comes next.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I read Brooklyn before Long Island?

Yes, we highly recommended to read Brooklyn before Long Island. Long Island is a sequel, continuing the story of Eilis from where Brooklyn left off. Reading Brooklyn first will give you the background and context needed to fully appreciate the development of the characters and plot in Long Island.

What is Tony’s secret in Long Island?

In Long Island, Tony’s secret is that he has a child from another relationship. An Irishman arrives at Eilis’s door, revealing that his wife is pregnant with Tony’s baby. Tony later confirms this to Eilis, apologizing for not sharing this information sooner. This revelation becomes a major point of conflict in the story.

Why did Eilis cheat on Tony?

Eilis’s infidelity with Jim Farrell in Long Island stems from her emotional struggles and unresolved feelings from her past. Despite being married to Tony, her return to Ireland rekindles her feelings for Jim. The emotional turmoil and complex dynamics between her past and present relationships lead her to make choices that conflict with her commitments.

What are some other books by Colm Tóibín?

Colm Tóibín has written several acclaimed books, including:

The House of Names (2017) – A retelling of the Greek tragedy of the House of Atreus.

Brooklyn (2009) – The prequel to Long Island.

The Master (2004) – A novel about Henry James.

The Testament of Mary (2012) – A reimagining of the life of the Virgin Mary.

Nora Webster (2014) – A story about a woman’s life in Ireland after the death of her husband.

Is there a film adaptation of this book?

As of now, there is no film adaptation of Long Island. However, Brooklyn, the first book in the series, was adapted into a successful film in 2015, directed by John Crowley and starring Saoirse Ronan as Eilis.

Is there a Long Island audiobook?

Yes, there is an audiobook version of Long Island. It has a listening length of 9 hours and 28 minutes and is narrated by Jessie Buckley. The audiobook is available on Audible and was released on 23 May 2024.

Book Club Ideas for Long Island

Food:

Irish-inspired Menu: Reflecting Eilis’s Irish roots, serve traditional dishes like Irish stew, soda bread, and shepherd’s pie.
New York Twist: Incorporate New York-style foods such as bagels with lox and classic New York cheesecake to highlight the setting of Long Island.
Tea and Scones: Offer a selection of teas with freshly baked scones, a nod to the book’s Irish heritage and the cozy, reflective moments in the story.

Decor:

Dual Themes: Decorate with elements representing both Ireland and Long Island. Use green and gold accents to symbolize Ireland, and incorporate nautical themes or beachside decor for Long Island.
Vintage Charm: Create a nostalgic atmosphere with vintage photos and maps of Ireland and Long Island, reflecting the book’s themes of time and place.
Book-Themed Centerpieces: Use copies of Brooklyn and Long Island as centerpieces, along with small props like miniature suitcases or letters to represent Eilis’s journey.

Activities:

Character Discussion: Focus on key characters like Eilis, Tony, and Jim. Discuss their development, decisions, and relationships, and how they reflect the book’s themes.
Setting Exploration: Compare and contrast the settings of Ireland and Long Island, discussing how they influence the characters’ lives and the story.
Themed Trivia: Create a trivia game based on the book’s events, characters, and settings to test your guests’ knowledge and spark lively discussion.

Games:

“Whose Secret?”: A fun game where participants guess which character’s secret or dilemma is being described, based on clues from the book.
“Book vs. Movie”: If you’ve seen the film adaptation of Brooklyn, compare and contrast it with the book. Discuss similarities and differences with your book club.

More Book Club Guides

If you’re planning ahead to your next book club pick, consider selecting another book from our list of guides to make your meeting preparation easy and fun!

Happy reading! ❤️

Luka

I love to read and I enjoy exploring a range of genres including contemporary and historical fiction, mysteries, thrillers, nonfiction, and memoirs. If you would like me to review your book, feel free to reach out to me!