The Diane Rehm Show

Author Colm Toibin was 12 years old when his father died. He watched his mother struggle with grief but they rarely spoke of it. Toibin grew up to write award-winning stories and novels, including the best-seller, “Brooklyn.” But it was not until his mother’s death that he found a way to write about that painful period in his family’s life. His latest novel tells the story of a middle-aged widow living in a small Irish town in the 1960s. Music gives her solace and allows her to create an independent life. In her grief, however, she’s blind to the suffering of her young sons. Guest host Susan Page talks with author Colm Toibin about his new novel, "Nora Webster," and the ways it echoes his own childhood.