Long Island

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• In light of the novel’s title, were you surprised that the majority of Long Island takes place in Ireland? What was your original response to this disparity?
• How did you respond to the novel’s inciting event: that Tony Fiorello is having a child with another woman? What emotions did this revelation elicit for you as a reader, and why?
• How did your experience reading Long Island compare to your experience reading Coim Tóibín’s other novels? Alternatively, how does Long Island compare to other Irish authors’ work (for example: Claire Keegan, Donal Ryan, and Paul Lynch)? 

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Eilis Fiorello immediately refuses to be a part of Tony’s new child’s life. How did you react to how she handles this issue? Would you have taken a different approach?
• Eilis, Jim Farell, and Nancy Sheridan are all caught in internal conflicts. Whose personal circumstances did you find most relatable or believable, and why?
• On Long Island and in Enniscorthy, Eilis is involved in small communities. How do you think you would handle each of these spaces? Do you think Eilis navigates them well?
• Eilis, Jim, and Nancy are all asking questions about their futures.