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This book was a sweet, but sad story about Eilis going to America from her home country of Ireland.

The Goodreads summary says, “in a small town in the south-east of Ireland in the 1950s, Eilis Lacey is one among many of her generation who cannot find work at home. So when a job is offered in America, it is clear that she must go. Leaving her family and home, Eilis sets off to forge a new life for herself in Brooklyn. Young, homesick and alone, she gradually buries the pain of parting beneath the rhythms of a new life – days at the till in a large department store, night classes in Brooklyn College and Friday evenings on the dance floor of the parish hall – until she realizes that she has found a sort of happiness. But when tragic news summons her back to Ireland, and the constrictions of her old life unexpectedly give way to new possibilities, she finds herself facing a terrible between love and happiness in the land where she belongs and the promises she must keep on the far side of the ocean.”

The writing style felt plain and simple but so descriptive too. I thought that it was interesting that her boss was so rude to her and it felt like she was part of the reason Eilis went to America. In the beginning it didn’t feel like that should be reason enough to move to America.

I gave the book 3.5 stars out of 5. I liked the descriptions of the 1950s and the overall feeling the writing style gave me. It felt clean and precise.

I can’t imagine moving to a whole new country and I thought Eilis was strong and knew she could help her family. There was a priest that helped organize everything and it almost seemed too perfect, but we discussed in book club that having people organize going to America like that was part of that time.

When she thought she saw her father, who had passed away, walk into the Christmas dinner, it was something so comforting and I totally understood what it felt like. When you miss someone who’s passed away sometimes people really do look like the people you’ve lost. That was a really heartwarming part of the book.

I liked when she met Tony, but I didn’t like how he kind of forced her to marry him. That’s what it felt like to me. I didn’t really like him after that.

When she goes back to Ireland because someone in her family dies, I could totally feel how much she loved being home. The book was almost over and I thought she wasn’t going to go back to Brooklyn and I kind of wish she didn’t. I liked her life in Ireland, but going to America was part of her life and Tony was still there waiting for her.

Overall, I really liked the writing and it was a quick read.