What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedBrooklyn
John Crowley · Film · 2015
If you loved Brooklyn, start with Brooklyn (Colm Toibin, 2010) — a book from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Brooklyn across media.
If you were moved by Brooklyn, you likely crave stories that explore the delicate tension between personal longing and historical displacement.
Start with the source
Books on the same thread
Carol
Patricia Highsmith · Book · 2015
Explores: Forbidden Love, Social Taboo, Identity.
Like Brooklyn, this story captures the quiet, transformative power of new love during the 1950s, grounding its romantic yearning in the specific social restrictions of that mid-century era.
Nora Webster
Colm Toibin · Book · 2014
Explores: Grief, Widowhood, Resilience.
You will recognize the same Irish soul and atmosphere found in Brooklyn, as this narrative traces a woman’s difficult journey toward independence while navigating the constraints of her community.
The Great Bridge
David McCullough · Book · 2007
Explores: Engineering Marvels, Urban Development, 19th Century America.
While Brooklyn depicts the immigrant experience in the city, this account chronicles the physical construction of the iconic bridge that defines the very backdrop of Eilis Lacey's new life.
Dubliners
James Joyce · Book · 1992
Explores: Paralysis, Epiphany, Irish Identity.
These stories offer the same authentic Irish perspective present in Brooklyn, providing an evocative look at the social fabric and internal lives of people living in turn-of-the-century Dublin.
Series on the same thread
Unorthodox
Anna Winger · Series · 2020
Shares a thread with Brooklyn: cultural identity.
This journey mirrors the one taken by Eilis in Brooklyn, focusing on a woman who leaves her insular world behind to seek a new identity in a foreign city.
Fellow Travelers
Ron Nyswaner · Series · 2023
Explores: Forbidden Love, Homophobia, Political Persecution.
Much like the 1950s setting of Brooklyn, this series uses a period lens to examine the friction between personal desire and the rigid expectations of a judgmental society.
Small Island
Series · 2009
Shares a thread with Brooklyn: Cultural Identity.
This drama shares the themes of migration and cultural displacement found in Brooklyn, following individuals who must reconcile their original roots with the reality of their new homes.
11.22.63
Series · 2016
Shares a thread with Brooklyn: Nostalgia.
Similar to the way Eilis becomes rooted in her new environment in Brooklyn, this story explores the profound pull of nostalgia and the emotional weight of choosing one's era.
Podcasts on the same thread
1619
The New York Times · Podcast · 2019
Explores: systemic racism, national identity, legacy of slavery.
If you appreciated the historical context of the American dream in Brooklyn, this series offers a deeper, essential look at the complex foundations upon which that dream was built.
The Archers
Podcast
Explores: family life, community, farming.
Just as the community in Brooklyn acts as a vital, often intrusive character in Eilis's life, this series immerses you in the intricate, daily rhythms of a close-knit rural setting.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is the Brooklyn movie based on a book?
Yes, the 2015 film Brooklyn is based on the 2010 novel of the same name. Both versions follow the story of Eilis Lacey as she navigates her life and choices between 1950s Ireland and New York.
Should I read the Brooklyn book before watching the movie?
You can enjoy the story in either order. Both the book, published in 2010, and the 2015 film Brooklyn cover the same narrative regarding Eilis Lacey and her decision between two men and two countries.
Does the Brooklyn movie cover the entire story from the book?
The 2015 film Brooklyn is an adaptation of the 2010 novel. The movie depicts the core struggle of Eilis Lacey as she chooses between her life in Ireland and her new life in New York during the 1950s.
Is Brooklyn a historical story?
Yes, Brooklyn is set in the 1950s. The story focuses on the experiences of Eilis Lacey as she travels between Ireland and New York, forced to make a difficult choice between two different countries and two different men.