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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
It comes as no surprise that those with power will oppress those without. It also comes as no surprise that immigrants into the United States are wholly without power when they are escaping their countries with their lives - usually penniless and without families - in hopes of a better life and are thus at the mercy of those who have the power to grant them entry.
So starts this wonderful novel of two Italian sisters who enter Ellis Island as they escape brutal abuse and poverty at the hands of their father. But little did they know - and little did I know - that they must either have a job or a male relative in the States who will take them in, and these poor women have neither. About to be turned away and sent back on the first ship home to Italy, the older sister Francesca decides what is more important, her virtue or her freedom, and makes a decision with lasting consequences with a male inspector who presses his advantage and wholly abuses his power over her.
She is thankfully treated by Alma, a female worker at the island, who treats her with dignity and respect, but this book is rife with the prejudices and discriminations against us "dirty" Italians or those "drunk" Irish. Me being both ethnicities, I was shocked at the treatment, though I shouldn't have been since anyone in the early 1900s who was not Anglo-Saxon was of low breeding and stature.
Yet this book is more than just hearing such stories, but Webb helps Francesca rise above her situation through grit and determination. She melds into America but still longs for her culture. She loves the Germans, the Irish, and all different people who make up our country. She refuses to look down on others but looks to them for help and comfort.
Meanwhile, Alma wants to be an interpreter at Ellis, but women did not do such a thing. She wanted to go to NYU, but few women did such a thing. Yet just like Francesca, she learns to be strong, to forgo an arranged marriage to another German, and carves out a life through perseverance and standing up for what's right. She admires the languages of different people as she sees it as a song and dance of different cultures.
There is an unlikely romance, but inevitably leaves you all warm and fuzzy. There are the old-guard parents who want things to stay the same and are horrified at their progressive children. There are family picnics in the park and parties.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I learned so much about the people who worked at and were ushered through Ellis Island into our country. I learned that, too, there are some good people in this world who treat the oppressed as human beings and not as animals unworthy of human dignity. There are also rotten people who just are terrible human beings.
I am hoping that she continues Francesca's story into Chicago in another installment, one which I will definitely read.
So starts this wonderful novel of two Italian sisters who enter Ellis Island as they escape brutal abuse and poverty at the hands of their father. But little did they know - and little did I know - that they must either have a job or a male relative in the States who will take them in, and these poor women have neither. About to be turned away and sent back on the first ship home to Italy, the older sister Francesca decides what is more important, her virtue or her freedom, and makes a decision with lasting consequences with a male inspector who presses his advantage and wholly abuses his power over her.
She is thankfully treated by Alma, a female worker at the island, who treats her with dignity and respect, but this book is rife with the prejudices and discriminations against us "dirty" Italians or those "drunk" Irish. Me being both ethnicities, I was shocked at the treatment, though I shouldn't have been since anyone in the early 1900s who was not Anglo-Saxon was of low breeding and stature.
Yet this book is more than just hearing such stories, but Webb helps Francesca rise above her situation through grit and determination. She melds into America but still longs for her culture. She loves the Germans, the Irish, and all different people who make up our country. She refuses to look down on others but looks to them for help and comfort.
Meanwhile, Alma wants to be an interpreter at Ellis, but women did not do such a thing. She wanted to go to NYU, but few women did such a thing. Yet just like Francesca, she learns to be strong, to forgo an arranged marriage to another German, and carves out a life through perseverance and standing up for what's right. She admires the languages of different people as she sees it as a song and dance of different cultures.
There is an unlikely romance, but inevitably leaves you all warm and fuzzy. There are the old-guard parents who want things to stay the same and are horrified at their progressive children. There are family picnics in the park and parties.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I learned so much about the people who worked at and were ushered through Ellis Island into our country. I learned that, too, there are some good people in this world who treat the oppressed as human beings and not as animals unworthy of human dignity. There are also rotten people who just are terrible human beings.
I am hoping that she continues Francesca's story into Chicago in another installment, one which I will definitely read.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
My sister bought this book for me as a get well gift while I was in the hospital a couple years ago. I kept it on my shelf because she had used her allowance to buy me a book to make me feel better, but I never planned on reading it, because I HATE historical fiction as a genre. I finally decided to read it, and I’m so happy I did. The Next Ship Home tugged on my heart and genuinely made me feel so emotional. This may or may not encourage me to branch out into a genre I previously thought I hated.
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
In 1902, much of the immigration to the US was handled via Ellis Island. Ship after ship came from Europe, with many of the immigrants leaving to find work and a better life in America. Sadly, many arrived sick after the arduous trip. In this novel, Francesca and her sister, Marie, escape an abusive father in Sicily and come to America. However, they have no relatives here, and no male to vouch for them. Luckily, Francesca met a kind man, Marshall Lancaster, on the ship.
When they arrive at Ellis Island, they meet Alma who has been hired to help with immigration. Due to her fluency with languages, she helps many Italians, Russians, and others navigate the process. She is kind to Francesca and Maria, and befriends Francesca.
When it is Fran's turn to depart Ellis Island, an inspector forces her to pay a "fee". This changes her life. Alma's brother Fritz works to dig the subway tunnels, but is an anarchist, trying to unionize for better wages.
I enjoyed this story of the struggles that immigrants encountered. It hasn't changed much in a century. There is still bias against people who are different. However, there are still kind people like Alma, and strong people like Francesca who give you hope.
When they arrive at Ellis Island, they meet Alma who has been hired to help with immigration. Due to her fluency with languages, she helps many Italians, Russians, and others navigate the process. She is kind to Francesca and Maria, and befriends Francesca.
When it is Fran's turn to depart Ellis Island, an inspector forces her to pay a "fee". This changes her life. Alma's brother Fritz works to dig the subway tunnels, but is an anarchist, trying to unionize for better wages.
I enjoyed this story of the struggles that immigrants encountered. It hasn't changed much in a century. There is still bias against people who are different. However, there are still kind people like Alma, and strong people like Francesca who give you hope.
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Classism, Deportation
Minor: Antisemitism, Alcohol
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes