The Last Days of Ellis Island

This winner of the European Union Prize for Literature is a visceral combination of real and fictional events. New York, November 3, 1954. In a few days, the immigration inspection station on Ellis Island will close its doors forever. John Mitchell, an officer of the Bureau of Immigration, is the guardian and last resident of the island. As Mitchell looks back over forty-five years as gatekeeper to America and its promise of a better life, he recalls his brief marriage to beloved wife Liz, and is haunted by memories of a transgression involving Nella, an immigrant from Sardinia. Told in a series of poignant diary entries, this is a story of responsibility, love, fidelity, and remorse.

• Winner of the European Union Prize for Literature • Translated into 12 languages • Very timely with the current immigration crisis a daily news item • A rare combination of historical education and reading pleasure • On November 12, 1954, Ellis Island, the gateway to America, shuts it doors after processing more than 12 million immigrants since opening in 1892. Today, an estimated 40 percent of all Americans can trace their roots through Ellis Island • Fictional diary for the last nine working days on Ellis Island written by the last immigration officer to leave the island