Ellis Island
A People's History

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......more

Despite my love of history, I never got around to doing any serious reading about Ellis Island. My knowledge consisted mainly of what I was taught in school (most of which I've long since forgotten) and random information gleaned from things I read over the years that briefly mentioned its history a......more

Sam bym pewnie po tę książkę nigdy nie sięgnął. Nazwisko autorki, poniekąd wstyd przyznać, niczego mi dotąd nie mówiło. Do tego ten tytuł, Wyspa klucz, teraz o całkiem innej wymowie, ale wcześniej kojarzący mi się raczej z literaturą dla gospodyń wiejskich, niż z czymś wartym zainteresowania. Na szc......more

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 e......more

Incredible. It reads almost encyclopedic and captures the reader’s imagination so vividly. Journeying back in time to the very first immigrant stepping onto Ellis Island...I loved all the photos too. A must read.......more