This is a very informative book and taught me so much that I didn’t know.
It was so good to read after visiting this place

This is such an amazing story about the people who made what New York is today. It was so moving to read their letters and stories, and how Ellis Island evolved through time and the imprint that left in the history of the city.

Ellis Island: A People’s History by Małgorzata Szejnert is the story of the people who worked at Ellis Island and the people who passed through it.

After my trip, last February, to Ellis Island I was taken by curiosity to know more about the site and the story behind it. I wanted to read what was like for immigrants to pass through it, who the keepers where and how they felt when they were inundated by thousand of people; I was lucky enough to come across this book on NetGalley and I’m so grateful to Scribe UK for accepting my request.
Ellis Island: a people’s history is an informative and extensive book on how the island became the house of people travelling to the land of opportunities, during the 20th century , but it’s mainly a recollection of the stories of the keepers and people passing through. It was heartbreaking at times to read about how families were shattered and divided on the island, and with them the dream of a new life lost.
An absolute must read if you love history and American history.

I didn't know what to expect when I requested this book, but I was blown away by the depth of the research that Szejnert had conducted and her ability to write a people's history of Ellis Island that felt both erudite and human. There is always a tendency within historians to sometimes lean on the evidence and archival documents to the point that the historical feels tedious, devoid of warmth, and merely formulaic. There is no need to fear here. Szejnert is a master writer, the stories she presents are real and you can tell how much she cares about the subject of her story. At the same time, I really appreciated the historical analysis she presents and infuses these personal stories of mainly Polish immigrants coming to the U.S. through Ellis Island with. It's the perfect balance and reminded me of Auster's 4 3 2 1 at its best.

I enjoyed reading this book a lot, but there was something missing. Maybe it would have flown better if people’s stories were written one by one and not just going back and forth between people and times. However, that didn’t stop me from enjoying the book and I have learned a lot about people, Ellis island history and immigration process throughout the years

This is an intriguing and well researched read. I found it really interesting and fascinating to read about the history of Ellis Island and the people who worked there and also the immigrants who passed through it. This book is really well put together and informative.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

Extremely well researched and written history of Ellis Island. I usually read only fiction, but I have always had an interest in Ellis Island and I was drawn to this book.

The book is very informative and the attention to detail is excellent. While learning about the history of the actual piece of land, the reader also becomes introduced to the many workers on the island and several immigrants that passed through it's doors.

The history is uplifting and also saddening. Although many people came to the United States and went on to better lives, many were also turned away and sent back to their point of origin.

I would recommend this book to anyone that has an interest in Ellis Island. It has broaden my knowledge and has placed the island in a special place in my heart for all the hardship it has in its past.

I want to thank NetGalley and Scribe UK for allowing me to read the advanced reader copy of this book. My review is my own opinion not influenced by receiving the ARC.

This book is an must for anyone interested in the history of migration and the building of America. Ellis Island was the portal for most immigrants to the US from the late 1800s to the mid 1950s and Szejnert paints vignettes of the various waves over the decades by focusing on individuals: employees, administrators and most importantly, the varied immigrants themselves. This is a highly readable collection of stories, touching on how every important historical event impacted those wishing to come to the United States. This is the sort of book you don't read just once. I know I'll be going back to it, time and again.
Thanks #netgalley for the e-review edition of this book.

A fascinating time in our history a look at the making of Ellis Island.A behind the scenes look an introduction to the characters on the Islabd.A really interesting involving ffact filled non fiction book,#netgalley#ellisisland

Ellis is a fascinating read, well told. The author introduces us to the many interesting characters involved in the formation and running of Ellis Island. We are introduced to the various professionals chosen to process the many immigrants who passed through this famous institution. The book is liberally sprinkled with pictures of officials and migrants, We revisit certain people and the author has a gift of writing in a conversational tone which Carrie's us along. Interesting and alarming is the beginning of profiling the immigrants- mental health check and intelligence tests give us an insight as to how truly terrifying it must have been for these poor, frightened and vulnerable people. I would highly recommend this book, well written and extensively researched, it is accessible to students and interested readers. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of this excellent book.

This is one of the most unusually written Non Fiction books I've read, and I found it made for a great read. A lot of it is written in the present tense, which gives the narrative a really strong sense of tension and drive. I didn't really know much about Ellis Island before reading this, besides the general stuff that everyone knows. What I found really staggering was the sheer volume of people that the island processed on a yearly basis. I would have loved to see more illustrations throughout the book, but the ones that were available were great. I would definitely look out for other books by this author.

Didn't love it, a bit too disjointed for me. No single narrative to follow. Interesting! But not for me.

Ellis Island draws on unpublished testimonies, memoirs and correspondence from many internees and immigrants, including Russians, Italians, Jews, Japanese, Germans, and Poles, along with commissioners, interpreters, doctors, and nurses — all of whom knew they were taking part in a tremendous historical phenomenon.

It tells the many stories of the island, from Annie Moore, the Irishwoman who was the first to be processed there, to the diaries of Fiorello La Guardia, who worked at the station before going on to become one of New York City’s greatest mayors, to depicting the ordeal the island went through during the 9/11 attacks. At the book’s core are letters recovered from the Russian State Archive, a heartrending trove of correspondence from migrants to their loved ones back home. But their letters never reached their destination: instead, they were confiscated by intelligence services and remained largely unseen

Great book, took a bit to get into it but when i did really enjoyed it!

A heavily researched and insightful piece of non-fiction. Initially, I struggled with the style of the book, but really enjoyed it once I got into it. I learnt so many new things about American immigration and Ellis island itself, starting from when it was inhabited by the native Americans all the way up to modern day. I loved all of the excerpts of letters and the pictures which really brought individual stories to life. I was truly shocked by the treatment of the Jewish immigrants. Szejnert writes with humility and the book is well structured and flows with ease.

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.

What a history lesson in this book. Reading how the island came to be and what people went through. It opened my eyes to how the Jews were even treated here in America. I can understand what my ancestors went through coming to America.

Malgorzata Szejnert has written a fascinating and insightful history of Ellis Island, the U.S.'s main immigration station from 1892 to 1954 which saw up to 12 million people coming through for immigration processing.

Szejnert starts right at the beginning, when the island was inhabited by Native Americans and it was one of three Oyster Islands, and ends with Ellis Island now as a museum and even covers the role it played during the September 11th attacks.

I visited the island and the museum in January 2019 and wished I had been able to dedicate more hours to the visit, so I was very happy to be able to read this extensive history in lieu of visiting the island again.
The author is very good in bringing a very personal and human dimension to the history which you won't probably get by visiting the museum alone though. Individuals' stories, both those of employees and of immigrants, are skilfully woven into the chain of world events and government policies affecting the every day running and character of the island. This creates a very narrative and engaging style of presenting the island's history which I very much appreciated. Some stories are truly heartbreaking. There's the one of the elderly father and young student son who have to make a split-second decision of whether they agree to be separated and the father returning to most likely an early death in the Russia of pogroms and institutionalised anti-semitism. There's also the odyssey of Nathan Cohen, a man who following a nervous breakdown is sent from country to country with none of them willing to accept him.

I did find the last third of the book lagged more, perhaps it got a little repetitive and certainly I found
the recounting of what happened after the island's immigration station both a little rushed and less interesting.

The photos dotted across the book were a great addition.

I would certainly recommend this book to anyone interested in migration and 19th and 20th century history.

Many thanks to Scribe UK and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#EllisIsland #NetGalley