“Brooklyn” tells the quiet yet powerful story of Eilis Lacey’s journey from Ireland to America. Ellis Island looms in the background as the gateway to Eilis’ new life, promising hope but also uncertainty and sadness from leaving home behind.
The book vividly captures the immigrant experience of starting again in a foreign city. Eilis’ struggles and small victories reflect many immigrants’ experiences on their journeys through Ellis Island.
The novel offers readers an intimate look at homesickness, identity, and the delicate balance between old and new worlds.
In the imaginative novel “The Golem and the Jinni,” Ellis Island sets the stage for an unlikely meeting. Two mythical beings pass through this famous entry point into America and begin their unusual lives in immigrant neighborhoods of early 20th-century New York City.
Their journey illuminates the immigrant experience from a magical perspective, exploring themes of belonging, struggle, and adaptation.
The novel weaves together both historical truths and fantasy elements, vividly portraying Ellis Island as a place of dreams, discovery, and endless possibilities for newcomers.
“Ashes of Roses” brings readers to Ellis Island alongside Rose Nolan and her family, Irish immigrants who come to America for a fresh start.
But arrival is more complicated than they imagined, especially after challenging encounters with immigration officials who test their courage and resilience. Rose’s story provides a detailed look at the hardships, hopes, and obstacles facing young women immigrants in New York.
Set against the real tragedy of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, this moving novel portrays the dreams brought to—and sometimes shattered at—Ellis Island.
Though a non-fiction collection, “Immigrant Women” closely captures individual voices and personal narratives of Ellis Island arrivals. Through firsthand accounts, readers hear directly from women who navigated the journey and transition into American life.
Reflections are both hopeful and difficult, expressing the diversity of experiences of those who passed through this busy immigrant entryway. Each woman’s story offers insight into complex struggles with identity, family life, economic hardships, and new beginnings.
A rich and personal glimpse into women’s immigration experiences through Ellis Island.
“Letters from Rifka” immerses readers into the emotional world of Rifka, a young Jewish girl fleeing persecution in early 20th-century Russia. Her journey brings her to Ellis Island, where she is forced to wait alone due to illness, separated from her family.
The novel unfolds as a series of letters Rifka addresses to loved ones left behind. Readers see Ellis Island through her eyes—a place of refuge yet filled with worry.
Rifka’s compelling voice draws readers intimately into her experiences, strikingly portraying hope mixed with painful uncertainty.
Through Zipporah Feldman’s fictional diary, readers witness a young girl’s entry to America via Ellis Island in 1903. Zipporah shares authentic emotions about leaving Russia, crossing the ocean, and settling into New York’s Lower East Side.
Her diary entries capture the anticipation and worries surrounding Ellis Island, a gateway to dreams of freedom, security, and opportunity.
The novel provides young readers with a relatable and personal perspective of how immigration can mean both exciting promises and challenging adjustments.
“Hope’s Crossing” introduces readers to Hope, an English girl who travels to America with her mother and sister in 1773. Though set before Ellis Island’s operation, the novel explores similar themes of immigrant journey and expectations.
Hope faces loss, uncertainty, and loneliness amid her new surroundings. Her heartfelt story illuminates universal immigrant experiences, underscoring how arrivals to America navigated new societal norms and communities.
Rich details bring eighteenth-century New York to vivid life, echoing familiar struggles, dreams, and hopes that would later pass through Ellis Island.
Elvira Woodruff’s novel offers young readers thrill and history side-by-side. Dominic, a modern-day orphan, accidentally travels back to Ellis Island in 1908, suddenly swept into immigrant children’s experiences as they adjust to new lives.
Through Dominic’s eyes, readers witness firsthand the confusing and frightening moments many children encountered upon arrival.
The mix of historical fiction and adventure gives a fresh twist on immigration themes, smoothly drawing younger readers into vivid scenes at Ellis Island and conveying its historical significance.
Kate Kerrigan’s “Ellis Island” vividly portrays the Irish immigrant experience through Ellie Hogan’s determined eyes. Ellie leaves Ireland to find work and help support her husband after he is wounded during the Irish War of Independence.
With Ellis Island marking her entry into America, the novel closely follows her struggle, hope, and ambition in the exciting yet challenging streets of 1920s New York.
Ellie’s story shows Ellis Island not only as a transition point but also as a symbol of daring bravery and resilience.
“The Memory Keeper of Kyiv” explores powerful themes of survival, loss, and resilience across generations. Central characters pass through Ellis Island in their journey to escape hardship, enriching the narrative with authentic migration experiences.
Although the novel mainly revolves around tragic events in Ukraine, Ellis Island becomes symbolic of refuge and new beginnings for its characters. Their journeys through this landmark offer hope amid turmoil, depicting immigration as both challenging and redeeming.
Amy Hest’s beautifully illustrated story “When Jessie Came Across the Sea” introduces readers to young Jessie, sent to America from her village. Her journey takes her through Ellis Island, setting the tone for a heartfelt tale of courage and opportunity.
Facing fear and homesickness, Jessie ultimately adapts to life as a seamstress in New York’s Lower East Side. The rich illustrations and tender storytelling give young readers a gentle introduction to Ellis Island as an emotional gateway between old lives and new dreams.
Dan Abnett’s sci-fi tale may surprise readers with a creative twist, placing Ellis Island within an unexpected context. The book humorously brings Rocket and Groot, two unlikely space adventurers, to Earth with a visit to Ellis Island happening en route.
Science fiction fans see Ellis Island portrayed uniquely as a strange terrestrial location visited by characters typically traversing the galaxy.
The unusual setting offers a fresh, humorous take, acknowledging Ellis Island’s symbolic importance even beyond historical narratives.
“A Train in Winter” isn’t about Ellis Island directly, yet thoughtfully explores similar strong emotional themes of displacement, turmoil, and forced movements. This true account follows women who endured imprisonment in Auschwitz during World War II.
It parallels larger issues of immigration and displacement also seen at Ellis Island but on a significantly darker scale.
Their stories of determination, friendship, and survival offer insight into broader challenges that go beyond simple immigration journeys, underscoring themes of strength and endurance in the face of tremendous adversity.