NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Colm T贸ib铆n's 鈥淟ong Island,鈥� the Irish novelist's follow-up to the prize-winning immigrant tale 鈥淏rooklyn,鈥� is Oprah Winfrey's latest book club pick.
鈥淟ong Island,鈥� published Tuesday, continues the story of Eilis Lacey, who left Ireland for New York City in the 1950s and is now trapped in an unhappy marriage to Tony Fiorello, the Italian plumber she met in 鈥淏rooklyn.鈥� Set in the 1970s, the new book begins with Eilis facing the devastating news that Tony has made another man's wife pregnant and that the woman's husband plans to leave the child with her.
鈥淚 had so many mixed emotions reading this novel,鈥� Winfrey said in a statement. "I was captivated. T贸ib铆n builds the story around a woman whose life changes seemingly overnight with the news of her husband鈥檚 infidelity. It opens the door to her own secrets, grappling with choices she made long ago, urging her to break free from the silences she built around her life. A wonderful page-turner to start your summer reading."
鈥淏rooklyn,鈥� published in 2009, was adapted six years later into an Oscar-nominated movie starring Saoirse Ronan.
T贸ib铆n, 68, is a three-time Booker Prize finalist who has received numerous honors, from the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and International Dublin Literary Award for 鈥淭he Master,鈥� to the Costa Novel Award for 鈥淏rooklyn.鈥� His other books include 鈥淭he Testament of Mary,鈥� 鈥淣ora Webster" and 鈥淗ouse of Names.鈥�
In a statement Tuesday, T贸ib铆n echoed the responses of previous writers who have been called unexpectedly by Winfrey and told she had chosen one of their books.
鈥淭he voice at the other end of the phone was quiet, but also authoritative,鈥� T贸ib铆n said. 鈥淪he said: 鈥楾his is Oprah Winfrey.鈥� Somehow, it was clear that this was not a joke, not a hoax. I was tempted to say: 鈥楬ow are you?鈥� But I think I spluttered a bit instead. Eventually, I managed to say that I deeply admire the way in which she connects books to readers. And then I added, as though it was an afterthought, that I was so delighted that she had chosen mine.鈥�
Hillel Italie, The Associated Press
