Hope and Tears
Ellis Island Voices
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
An original collection of voices, filled with hope and tears, chronicles the history of Ellis Island and the people it served. Indians, settlers, immigrants, inspectors, doctors, nurses, cooks, and social workers all played a big part in that history. Author Gwenyth Swain reimagines the lives of those who landed, lived, and worked on the island through fictional letters, monologues, dialogues, and e-mails, basing them on historical documentation and real-life people. In doing so, she creates a moving picture of their struggles and triumphs. Illustrated with poignant and affecting photographs, this is a unique exploration of Ellis Island's history. Includes further resources, bibliography, and source notes.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
An estimated 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954. Swain pairs captivating photographs with poems that give voice to some of those individuals, along with short, descriptive essays. One poem is written from the perspective of a Hungarian girl, who arrived at Ellis Island on Christmas Eve 1919 and met "Santa" for the first time. "Oh, how I wished for a teddy bear./ But Santa Claus didn't speak Hungarian." Other works convey the agony of being turned away for having trachoma, an eye disease, or for being deemed an "undesirable." A rich pairing of fact and imagination that provides genuine insight into the immigrant experience. Ages 8 up.
