Hope and Tears

Mixing fictional monologues, dialogues, letters, and poems with real photographs and factual essays, this well-designed and clearly organized volume conjures up the soul of Ellis Island throughout its history. Together these imagined voices and real images paint an emotional and informative picture of Ellis Island's impact, on both a grand and an individual scale. Bib., ind.

Mixing fictional monologues, dialogues, letters, and poems with real photographs and factual essays, this volume conjures up the soul of Ellis Island. Well-designed and clearly organized, the book looks at the island from its early history through its use as an immigration center to its reopening as a museum. Each fictional piece, titled with a name, identity, and year, examines a personal point of view and has a corresponding photograph and caption. Together these imagined voices and real images paint an emotional and informative picture of Ellis Island’s impact, on both a grand and individual scale. The final poem, from the perspective of a National Park Service employee currently working at Ellis Island, captures its haunting power: "It’s a feeling that almost takes shape in the shadows. / Maybe every immigrant who ever came here / left something behind -- hopes and tears and fears." Back matter includes source notes and credits; a bibliography of books, websites, articles, interviews, and films; an index; and extension ideas for further investigation. Effective for dramatic reading (some entries even provide stage directions) as well as personal exploration, this work offers a creative consideration of this small but significant place rife with story and spirit. julie roach