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A review by slbeckmann
Ellis Island: A People's History by Malgorzata Szejnert
5.0
Thank you to the author, Scribe UK and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Our family immigrated to the US in the 1960s, but of course the era of Ellis Island was long past then. However, my own background immediately drew me to this book, and it did not disappoint. The author starts at the beginning of the island's history, when it belonged to Native Americans, and traces its path through various waves of immigration, two world wars and innumerable personal stories and remembrances, both of the staff working at the island, and the immigrants funneled through upon their arrival in the US. Although it took me a bit to get into the writer's rhythm at first, I loved the human dimension that the author brought into the history of the island, bolstered with the use of photos. The book ends with the recounting of the efforts to preserve Ellis Island as a national monument, which - for a nation of immigrants - is absolutely fitting. This book is a wonderful complement to the other literature about Ellis Island, and I highly recommend it.
Our family immigrated to the US in the 1960s, but of course the era of Ellis Island was long past then. However, my own background immediately drew me to this book, and it did not disappoint. The author starts at the beginning of the island's history, when it belonged to Native Americans, and traces its path through various waves of immigration, two world wars and innumerable personal stories and remembrances, both of the staff working at the island, and the immigrants funneled through upon their arrival in the US. Although it took me a bit to get into the writer's rhythm at first, I loved the human dimension that the author brought into the history of the island, bolstered with the use of photos. The book ends with the recounting of the efforts to preserve Ellis Island as a national monument, which - for a nation of immigrants - is absolutely fitting. This book is a wonderful complement to the other literature about Ellis Island, and I highly recommend it.