Nora Webster

The 1960s. Ireland, the town of Enniscorthy—the very place where Eilis, the heroine of the previous novel by Colm Tóibín “Brooklyn,” went to America from. A quiet, measured, old-fashioned life against the backdrop of an impending feud in neighboring Northern Ireland. Nora Webster has recently lost her husband. She must get used to her new life, handle financial and everyday difficulties, and raise her sons alone. An ordinary life of an ordinary woman who has long lost her individuality in the shadow of her husband, who has forgotten what dreams are. In this quiet, subtle novel, as in “Brooklyn,” at first glance little seems to happen—and yet it is full of tension, even passion. And so is Nora, as she learns to be alone, learns to be herself, sometimes irritating—and even shocking—the conservative Irish backwoods. “Nora Webster” is a virtuously detailed, fine, intimate history of life in an Irish family. Tóibín weaves a complex tapestry by depicting little Ireland—a town where everyone knows everyone—where goodwill can turn into drama. Nora Webster is one of the most memorable female characters in contemporary literature, calling to mind the heroines of Henrik Ibsen.