A young charming Eilis leaves early in the morning for church. She is currently working at
Ms. Kelly's shop, who is rude to her most of the time. Eilis lets Ms. Kelly know that she wants to
talk to her about something important later on. Ms. Kelly is even rude to her customers at the
shop and highly favors the ones she loves. Eilis lets Kelly know that Father Flood has found her
a job in America and has even got her a visa. Kelly feels sad for Eilis’ mother and sister,
Rose, as she believes that mothers are always left behind in Ireland till their death, and Rose would
now have to look after their mother as she can’t go make her own life now. Eilis proposes that she
can work at Kelly’s shop on Sundays but Kelly doesn’t want her around anymore. During dinner,
Eilis regrets not writing and vouching for Rose to Father Flood, but Rose doesn’t bother as she
has a full-time job and Eilis doesn’t. Eilis is happy that she won’t be working for and seeing
Kelly ever again. Eilis then spends her evening going out for a dance with her closest friend,
Nancy. Her friend is able to get a dance with the guy she has a crush
on. Eilis leaves soon as she doesn’t want to get between them. While looking at her luggage,
Rose thinks that she should have bought Eilis more clothes, but Eilis doesn’t want to burden
her as Rose has spent most of her money on her. Rose says that she is glad to have spent all of
her money on Eilis but she can never buy her a future, which is why Eilis is moving to America.
Eilis promises to write to Rose and her mother and she worries about when she would get to see
her family ever again. Rose tells her not to worry about them in any way possible.
Eilis boards her ship to America and kisses her family goodbye.
Eilis soon meets her roommate, Georgina, in her cabin. Georgina says that she made
a mistake coming to Ireland and she would never come back again. Georgina goes out for a smoke
with hopes of finding a man from a much higher class. Eilis has dinner but notices that no
one’s around. A waiter nearby tells Eilis that most of the passengers have put off their meal,
due to a rough weather that is forecasted for the night. Later that night, the ship is going
through rough weather and Eilis begins to suffer from bad health. Her roommates have locked their
cabin and the bathroom, which Eilis needs to use at the moment immediately. Eilis uses a bucket
that’s near her to facilitate herself in the state of seasickness. Georgina takes care of Eilis and
locks the other roommates out of the bathroom, as revenge for what Eilis had to go through. Eilis
talks to Georgina about how Rose knew a priest that is now helping her in moving to America.
Georgina accurately guesses that Eilis is moving to Brooklyn. Georgina also states
that it takes time for letters to reach across the sea the first time and then no time at all.
She also tells Eilis that she would be able to find new people much more easily in America.
Georgina advises Eilis on clothes, makeup, and the kind of attitude required to survive in a
country like America. She tells Eilis to think like an American and never be rude or nervous
in any situation. Eilis arrives in America and is living at a boarding house for young Irish girls
that is run by Ms. Kehoe. Eilis gets familiar with the rest of the girls there, mainly Diana,
Patty, and Sheila. All three of them like to taunt each other in a fun way. Kehoe asks
Diana and Patty to help with Eilis’s greasy skin. Eilis soon begins her job as a sales clerk. She
tries to avoid conversations with her co-workers and is engrossed in her work most of the time.
Eilis’s manager has a tough time teaching how Eilis should deal with her customers better,
as Eilis is still adjusting to her new life in Brooklyn. Eilis still reminisces about her sister
and mother. At the dinner table, Kehoe lets Eilis know that she has received a letter from her home,
which excites her. Rose and their mother in their letter tell Eilis about how they still can’t
believe, Eilis is reading their letters in America and they are eagerly waiting for her reply,
even if it's way too long. Eilis begins to feel more homesick now which affects her work as well.
Knowing that she is far away from her home, Eilis’ manager notices her poor
work and calls Father Flood to console her. Father Flood apologizes to Eilis as
he thought that Eilis would not be prone to homesickness. He informs her that she
would soon be beginning college and her first semester’s tuition has been paid.
Eilis volunteers for helping Father Flood in serving lunch to the elders on Christmas,
which is highly commended by Kehoe. During that day, one of the old men begins to sing a song
for the occasion, which further allows Eilis to think about her home even more.
Eilis returns home to find out from Kehoe that one of their boarding house members, Miss McAdam, is
leaving the house. Her room is the best one in the entire house which has its own entrance as well,
and Kehoe believes that only a sensible girl should be living in it. Kehoe thinks that there’s
no one more sensible than Eilis right now, and she is given the room. Kehoe once again applauds Eilis
for the excellent work she did with Father Flood. Kehoe asks Diana and Patty to take Dolores, who is
a new member of the house, to dance that weekend but both of them refuse, making fun of Dolores in
the process as well. Kehoe requests Eilis to take Dolores to the dance which she accepts. There are
not many people at the dance and Dolores wonders if more men would arrive at the dance. Diana and
Patty arrive and Dolores is annoyed at them as they lied about not coming to the dance. Eilis
goes to meet them as she is bored by the time she spent with Dolores. They give her a little makeup
and soon Eilis finds a man to dance with her. Another beautiful young man, Tony, comes and
asks Eilis to dance with him. Eilis happily agrees to a dance, and after dancing, Tony wants to walk
Eilis back home. Eilis agrees to that as well, as she doesn’t want to spend more time with Dolores.
While they are on their way home, Tony lets Eilis know that he is not Irish; he’s Italian. He goes
to Irish dance because he admires Irish girls’ beauty. He wants to be honest with Eilis, which
is why he revealed the truth. Tony wants to take Eilis for lunch next week to which she agrees.
During their date, Tony discloses his profession as a plumber. Eilis tells him that she is studying
bookkeeping and that she is attending college as well. Eilis spends the entire date talking
uncontrollably to which Tony has no problem at all. At the dinner table, Diana and Patty seem
to make fun of how Eilis has found herself a man and won’t tell anyone about it. Kehoe comes to
Eilis’s defense and lets both of them know that she has met Tony and thinks he is a wonderful man.
Tony waits for Eilis outside of her college and wants to accompany her on her way back home.
Tony tells her that he wants Eilis to meet his family, even though they have only gone out a
couple of times. Eilis says that she would love to and gets more excited when Tony says, that
his family would be serving her Italian food. Both of them also agree on going out to watch movies.
Eilis begins to show more enthusiasm in her work. Her manager asks her about the sudden change,
to which Eilis responds that she has been going out with an Italian guy. When saying that Tony
doesn’t talk about her mother or baseball, the manager advises Eilis to keep Tony with herself,
as that’s an indication of a great Italian guy. Diana and Patty teach Eilis how to
eat Italian food, so that she doesn't end up embarrassing herself in front of Tony’s family.
Eilis writes to her sister, telling her how much she's enjoying her life in Brooklyn,
now that Tony is with her. she also tells her that she used to believe that her life was still
back in Ireland and now half of it is in America thanks to Tony. While taking Eilis to his family,
Tony warns her about his little brother, Frankie, as he can be rude to guests sometimes. Tony’s
family seems to like Eilis and when Frankie says that the entire family hates the Irish,
Tony’s father takes him away. He later comes back to apologize to Eilis. Tony’s family is surprised
that he hasn’t talked much about baseball in front of Eilis. When dropping Eilis back at her home,
Tony professes his love for her. Surprised by the sudden change of pace, Eilis responds by thanking
him for the lovely dinner. Tony’s love for Eilis has put her in doubt to the point where she asks
Sheila, who is divorced, if she would marry again. Sheila tells her that she will. when
coming out of her college, Eilis is surprised to not see Tony around, but he appears soon enough.
Eilis shares her feelings about Tony’s love for her. Eilis says that she likes Tony and
the next time Tony would acknowledge his love for her, she would declare her love for him too.
Rose and her mother write to Eilis, telling her that it’s exciting to hear
Eilis enjoying her life in America, and how they would keep on supporting Eilis’ goals.
Father Flood is elated to hear that Eilis has passed her first semester with flying colors,
and how she has found a nice guy for her. Eilis also lets her know that she can pay back the
tuition for her first semester, and would cover up the remaining expenses herself. Kehoe and the rest
are happy with Eilis’ academic performance. Eilis tells them that Tony is taking her to ‘Cooney
Island’ to celebrate. All of the house members tell Eilis to get herself a proper bathing suit.
Eilis’s manager assists her in picking the right one for her. both Tony and Eilis spend a wonderful
time at the beach and they share their very first kiss as well. Eilis writes to Rose, telling her
that she feels happier in America now and she is also looking for office work. Eilis’s mother
knocks at Rose’s door but she doesn’t answer it. Her mother enters the room and much to her misery,
she finds Rose lifeless on the floor. Father Flood and Eilis’ manager arrive to break the bad news to
Eilis. She is shocked by the sudden death of her sister, as Father Flood explains that Rose was
suffering from a disease she didn’t disclose. Knowing that she can’t attend Rose’s funeral,
Father Flood assures her that Rose is looking at her from above. Eilis receives a call from
her mother. Her mother informs that everyone came to Rose’s funeral, including the entire golf club
members with whom Rose used to play. Her mother breaks down crying stating that she is alone now.
Tony believes that Eilis wants to go back home for some time. He shows Eilis the land his family
owns. Tony says that he plans on building five houses on their land with his brothers;
keeping two for their parents and selling the remaining three. He also talks about
his brothers’ plan of building a construction company. He invites Eilis to be a part of it,
to which she happily agrees. Eilis remembers about her mother and worries for her as she is
on her own now. Eilis wishes to go back home, but Tony worries that she’ll never come back.
Tony proposes that they should get married secretly. Eilis promises to come back for him but
Tony still prefers that they should get married. Eilis agrees to his proposal. The day arrives
and both of them head to the city hall to get married. While they are waiting for their turn,
Tony comes across a man who is not only Irish, but also comes from where Eilis used to live.
Eilis and Tony are happily married and both of them share a laugh, about how their children
would react to their secret wedding. Eilis returns to her home and after coming out of the church
with her mother, Eilis reunites with Nancy. Nancy pays her condolences on the death of Rose. When
Eilis asked how she is doing, Nancy surprises her with her wedding announcement. Eilis is happy for
her but she isn’t able to tell her that she won’t be in Ireland during her wedding time.
Eilis promises to catch up with Nancy soon. Eilis goes to Rose’s grave to pay her respects.
She tells her sister that she would have loved to meet Tony and hear about the time
he spent with Eilis. She wishes everything was different and her sister was still alive.
Eilis helps her mother in writing thank you letters to everyone, who has sent a condolences
letter on Rose’s death. Eilis thinks that this is something that is not worthwhile doing but
her mother still insists on going along with it. Nancy arrives to pick Eilis up for a
get-together. Eilis is introduced to Nancy’s fiancé, George, and another outstanding man,
Jim Farrell. As no one is aware of Eilis’s secret marriage, Nancy wants Eilis to get along with Jim
nicely. Eilis doesn’t waste any time in making fun of Jim and other rugby players' appearance.
Nancy lets Eilis know that Jim broke off his engagement with another woman. Jim expresses
his sympathies to Eilis on the loss of Rose. Jim also shares how his mother loved Rose and played
golf with her from time to time. When asked about Eilis's mother, she answers that she is still sad
and has gotten older much more quickly. Eilis talks about her life in Brooklyn and how she
wants to pursue a career in the field Rose used to work in. During their conversation, Jim is
extremely attracted to Eilis and even George points it out as well. When she returns home,
Eilis’ mother says that Jim’s family is moving back to the city and they are living in a much
bigger house. She tries to get Eilis interested in Jim, but Eilis doesn’t seem to care that much.
After returning home from shopping, Eilis’ mother asks her to go to Rose's office,
as they have shown interest in acquiring Eilis' bookkeeping skills. Eilis goes to find out that
ever since Rose died, the company, she worked for, has been struggling with the accounts department.
On her very first day, Eilis is able to impress the higher authoritative figures in the company
and Rose’s boss asks Eilis to work for them part-time till she is in Ireland.
Eilis visits Rose’s grave often. Eilis, along with Nancy, Jim,
and George, heads to the beach. Eilis notes the difference between American and Irish beaches,
as American beaches are always crowded in comparison to the quiet beaches of Ireland.
Jim lets Eilis know, that his mother has announced a special trophy named after Rose,
which would be given to the best scoring newcomer in the golf club every year. Eilis is excited to
hear about this. Jim’s mother has also invited Eilis over to their home for tea, to which Eilis
responds that she would be happy to join them. Meanwhile, Tony blackmails his little brother
in fixing all of the grammatical mistakes in the letter he has written for Eilis. Tony misses Eilis
with all his heart and Eilis seems to have made a strong bond with Jim which her mother approves of.
Soon, Eilis receives Tony's letter and she puts it away along with others she hasn't opened or read.
Eilis goes out on a date with Jim, who tells her about his desire of touring all around the world.
Eilis meets with Jim’s parents and she immediately takes a liking to them.
Jim’s parents show interest in Eilis as well. Eilis and her mother, along with Jim,
attend Nancy’s wedding. After speaking with Jim, Eilis' mother's faith in Jim solidifies him as the
right guy for Eilis. Everyone in the city starts to believe that Jim would soon be marrying Eilis.
Eilis struggles when she tries to write back to Tony. Later that night, Jim confesses that
the thought of Eilis moving back to America scares him as he has now begun to like her.
He shows his desire for Eilis to stay in Ireland and think about having a future with him. Jim
believes that he should say all of this now, as he would have regretted it later on if he hadn’t.
The very next morning, one of the employees of Kelly meets Eilis who says that Kelly wants
to meet Eilis soon. Kelly sits down with Eilis and says that one of her close relatives bumped
into Tony in the city hall on the day Eilis got married, signifying that she knows that
Eilis is secretly married. Kelly is also aware of the rumors about Jim and Eilis. When Eilis
asks what Kelly’s poor intentions are with the knowledge she has gained, Kelly remains silent.
Eilis says that she forgot how this city actually was and is disgusted by Kelly’s actions. Eilis
has enough of Kelly’s rude behavior and leaves after proudly saying that she’s married to Tony.
She returns to book her trip back to Brooklyn. When Eilis is with her mother,
she breaks down crying and reveals that she is secretly married to Tony. She further
discloses that she is leaving for America tomorrow. As her mother is in shock and grief,
she tells Eilis to say goodbye to her now as she prepares to go to bed early.
She also tells her to write her about Tony in the letters. Before leaving, Eilis leaves letters for
Jim in which she reveals her secret. While she is still upset over everything that has happened,
Eilis comes across a young Irish girl on the ship who asks her about life in
America. Eilis guides her about everything including how to deal with homesickness,
the same way Georgina guided her a year ago. Eilis returns and reunites with her love, Tony.