Nothing brings a historical event more to life than hearing/reading first hand accounts of what it was like.  I can only image the excitement of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island…leaving their homes to start a new life.  Some came with families, while some came alone.  Each came with a particular background and experiences.  These immigrants helped make America what it is today.

With all the nationalities and different languages and their dialects, it could be a frustrating first impression of the United States.  Island of Hope, Island of Tears by David Brownstone, Irene Franck and Douglass Brownstone, took me on an adventure of seeing the ups and the downs that immigrants went through arriving at Ellis Island.  I can now visualize the events by reading individual’s stories of courage, excitement, and sometimes pure anger, for not understanding why this land of plenty could be so difficult to enter.