Ellis Island
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Review
Ellis Island is a feel-good story about love, freedom, belonging and the meaning of home. It's a satisfying read that Stylist thinks has `film adaptation' written all over it.' --Stylist Magazine
'Kerrigan beautifully evokes the difficult struggles facing the rural Irish in the 1920, juxtaposed with the chance of a better, more glamorous life in New York.' --Radio Times
'Ellis Island is an epic love story.' --Irish Sunday Independent
'a beautiful and poignant read'
--Northern Ireland News Letter
'Kerrigan beautifully evokes the difficult struggles facing the rural Irish in the 1920, juxtaposed with the chance of a better, more glamorous life in New York.' --Radio Times
'Ellis Island is an epic love story.' --Irish Sunday Independent
'a beautiful and poignant read'
--Northern Ireland News Letter
Product Description
The latest novel from this hugely popular Irish author
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I thoroughly enjoyed Colm Toibin's Brooklyn so I was instantly drawn to this similar tale of emigration from Kate Kerrigan but are they perhaps too alike to be read so close together? Indeed should they be compared at all given that they are most definitely two different genres?
Anyway, back to Ellis Island for a while at least...our lead character, Eileen, known as Ellie, is forced to leave the abject poverty of her rural Irish background to seek employment in 1920s New York. Whilst she is amazed by the modern conveniences of her new home (running water and electricity have yet to hit rural Ireland..), big changes are afoot in her native Ireland with the advent of the Free State prefaced by the brutalities carried out by the Black and Tans. So which "island" will Ellie choose, is Ellie's Island (nice wordplay..) based on glamour or duty?
Maybe I've read so many of these emigration stories that I've become a bit jaded, perhaps there's nothing new to tell. I found the Irish passages describing Ellie's husband's participation in the Republican Army and the stulfitying ambiance of Ellie's childhood home much more gripping than the razzmatazz of Jazz Age New York - maybe I'm just awkward! I thought that the storyline seemed to have a mind of its own, meandering around, not sure where it would end up.
All in all, an enjoyable enough story but it lacked something for me. It would appear that most Amazon reviewers rave about this book so I am once more in the minority...
Anyway, back to Ellis Island for a while at least...our lead character, Eileen, known as Ellie, is forced to leave the abject poverty of her rural Irish background to seek employment in 1920s New York. Whilst she is amazed by the modern conveniences of her new home (running water and electricity have yet to hit rural Ireland..), big changes are afoot in her native Ireland with the advent of the Free State prefaced by the brutalities carried out by the Black and Tans. So which "island" will Ellie choose, is Ellie's Island (nice wordplay..) based on glamour or duty?
Maybe I've read so many of these emigration stories that I've become a bit jaded, perhaps there's nothing new to tell. I found the Irish passages describing Ellie's husband's participation in the Republican Army and the stulfitying ambiance of Ellie's childhood home much more gripping than the razzmatazz of Jazz Age New York - maybe I'm just awkward! I thought that the storyline seemed to have a mind of its own, meandering around, not sure where it would end up.
All in all, an enjoyable enough story but it lacked something for me. It would appear that most Amazon reviewers rave about this book so I am once more in the minority...
57 of 62 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As in all Kate Kerrigan's novels, this is a finely crafted story, gripping from start to finish. It covers a fascinating period of Ireland's history and brings home the extreme conditions and poverty that people were living in. It is well contrasted with the section of the book set in New York in the twenties and this new exciting world. The characters are all empathic and fully rounded, and Ellie, the heroine, is a particularly strong character. I thought the ending was very clever, you, as the reader, identified with the conflict, and frustrations Ellie was experiencing. Although fiesty and adventurous she was also a woman of her time. It is in the end a book about the endurance of love between two people. I am looking forward to the sequel.
27 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an excellent read and, I believe, can be read on two levels; firstly, as a romantic historical saga. It works really well in this way although I found it difficult to deal with Ellie's character as she seemed quite spoiled. On a deeper level, however, the novel looks at issues about materialism and the pull of 'things'and on this level I could relate to her bitterness and her often indecision. I think there was a huge moral lesson in this book and a real understanding of what makes for lasting happiness, fulfillment and satisfaction.
The history was well depicted explaining well the Irish cause.
The characters were vividly drawn and Ellie and her mother were very interesting and three-dimensional. This made them very believable.
The description was powerful and there was some stunning imagery when she was portraying the American countryside and this was very compelling when juxtaposed with the land in Ireland; both metaphors depicting the heart of each place.
My only criticism is the way Charles kept miraculously and coincidentally appearing and that didn't seem to be too credible to me.
This is a wonderful and intelligent book and a very enjoyable read. I thoroughly recommend this.
The history was well depicted explaining well the Irish cause.
The characters were vividly drawn and Ellie and her mother were very interesting and three-dimensional. This made them very believable.
The description was powerful and there was some stunning imagery when she was portraying the American countryside and this was very compelling when juxtaposed with the land in Ireland; both metaphors depicting the heart of each place.
My only criticism is the way Charles kept miraculously and coincidentally appearing and that didn't seem to be too credible to me.
This is a wonderful and intelligent book and a very enjoyable read. I thoroughly recommend this.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Moving
I really enjoyed this book. It gave an in depth look at Ireland in the early part of 20th Century, what is was to be poor and the draw of America and all it could offer at that... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Kitty
Irish girl goes to America and comes back again
That sums up the plot of the story. It is a fairly predictable emigration tale of the wonders which are available in America during the 1920s and how they compare to the poverty... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Janie U
great up until the end!
Hi, my sister loaned me this book reluctantly. I asked her if it was good and she winced a little and said that was up to me, she wasn't going to say anything. Read more
Published 9 months ago by amadarling
Great read.
I don't normally go for this kind of read so was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Cliché I know, but I couldn't put this book down. Read more
Published 10 months ago by GlitterJunkie
Ellie's Ireland or Island
Ellie and John were childhood friends, sweethearts, lovers and eventually man and wife. They were destined to be together, even though Ellie's parents disapproved of John. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Joanne D'Arcy
Ellis Island
I loved this book. I don't normally read books of this kind, but read the reviews and thought why not? Read more
Published 13 months ago by hunnybunny2
Transports you to another place!
Like another reviewer below, I enjoyed Colm Toibin's Brooklyn, a similar story of an emigrating Irish woman seeking a better life. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Nicki
A bit dreary! Characters lacked realism and depth
This book has had good reviews and been a bestseller so I had fairly high expectations. However I didnt really enjoy it much and ploughed through to the end because it was chosen... Read more
Published 14 months ago by J. Holmes
Lyrically written, crisply plotted and, at times, heart-breakingly...
Lyrically written, crisply plotted and, at times, heart-breakingly poignant. Ellis Island is a pleasure from the very first page. Read more
Published 15 months ago by GiGi
Rural life in Ireland vs high life in New York
My main problem with this book is not the book itself but the excess of information we are given on the back cover. Read more
Published 17 months ago by DubaiReader
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