Reviews

A quick little story that contained a lot of story. It was all a journal written by the... manager? (that's not the right word) of Ellis Island, who had worked there for like, 50 years, and he was moving off the island because people didn't use it that much anymore. So he shares a little of his story and a little about a few specific immigrants who came through. It was very interesting. At the end the author shared how she was inspired by four real people (the "manager," one of the translators - a one Mr. LaGuardia, the last immigrant to come through... and someone else, I forget). I love the idea of seeing real people's names and then dreaming up what their experience might have been.

cmerck14's review

Go to review page

3.0

I won this book from Goodreads, and in exchange, I will post a review.
Like many others have posted, what the book contained was not what I expected. I wanted to hear more about the actual experience of being at Ellis Islands when immigrants from all over the world came through - but most of the story focused on a relatively boring love story. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed.

orlily's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

leweylibrary's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Content Warnings

onlymel's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Un homme, une ile et une semaine

5 jours et 5 nuits. C’est tout ce qu’il reste à John Mitchell pour écrire son histoire et celle de son île. C’est le temps qu’il lui faut pour nous transmettre sa vie. Une vie qu’il aura passé sur cette île, qu’il aura passé à voir défiler des millions de personnes porteuses d’un espoir parfois vain. C’est une petite histoire, celle de deux amours, au cœur de la grande Histoire, celle d’Ellis Island, porte d’Or vers les Etats-Unis, qui parfois restera fermée.

Le dernier gardien d’Ellis Island c’est une histoire, celle d’un homme, un gardien, dans la grande Histoire, celle d’une île, Ellis Island. Lieu d’espoir et de désespoir, si plein, et pourtant, si vide. Ce lieu où les hommes arrivent pleins de souvenirs et doivent se réinventer pour devenir américains. C’est l’histoire d’une passion obsessionnelle et d’un amour calme, celle d’un homme pour deux femmes.

C’est un roman coup de poing, réaliste, si réaliste. Il nous plonge dans ce passé méconnu, nous le fait voir, nous le fait entendre, en passant par la petite porte. Gaëlle Josse à ce don pour la photographie d’un moment, qui vous emporte et ne vous lâche pas. Cette lecture, je l’ai passé sur Ellis Island, cette île grise, ballottée entre les flots de l’Hudson. J’y ai eu froid, j’y ai eu peur, j’y ai aimé, j’y ai pleuré. Une lecture marquante, d’une rare intensité.

bookmadjo's review

Go to review page

5.0

I am drawn to books in translation, from various countries, because I find it interesting as there are stylistic differences in the literature of each individual country. The Last Days of Ellis Island was written by Gaëlle Josse in French (and has been translated beautifully by Natasha Lehrer). I found the style of the writing had the lyrical tone that would be expected from a novel translated from French, and this made it an absolute joy to read, with such a hauntingly poetic quality to it I could not put it down.

The Last Days of Ellis Island follows the last resident of the island, John Mitchell, as he reminisces about his time living and working at the first place immigrants would enter America, in search of a better life. He does this in the last days on the island in the form of journal entries. I found it difficult to warm to John, he behaves very badly in his past with little comprehension of the effect of his actions (there is a sexual assault which may create a trigger point for some readers), but I was left feeling satisfied with the way in which his story arc progresses so I would say that if it does make you feel uncomfortable, bear with it.

This book really made me think about the Europeans who made that sometimes treacherous journey across the Atlantic in search of a better life. Indeed, some of my ancestors travelled to America in the late 1890s and it made me think about them, travelling as a family of seven, and although their time in America was cut short by their decision after some years to return to England, I could almost picture them, being processed by the staff on Ellis Island, and I felt a real affinity with the immigrants in the book.

I really enjoyed this book, and it was a very quick read. I thought it was incredibly powerful in its’ simplicity, evoking a forgotten era which brought great changes to the lives of the people who passed through Ellis Island on their way towards their American Dream.

abookishtype's review against another edition

Go to review page

Ellis Island is a big part of the American story. This small island, within view of Liberty Island where Lady Liberty lifts her “lamp beside the golden door,” was where millions of European, African, Asian, and Caribbean immigrants were processed before being allowed to travel to the American mainland—or sent back to their countries of origin. Some of that story is told in Gaëlle Josse’s The Last Days of Ellis Island (and perfectly translated by Natasha Lehrer). But this is not a history of Ellis Island. Instead, it’s a narrative of one Mr. Mitchell’s life at the island from when he was taken on by the US government to the closure of the island as an immigration processing point. Mr. Mitchell has a lot to regret...

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss, for review consideration.

More...