New York City, 1902. Alma Brauer is newly employed as an aspiring interpreter at Ellis Island when she meets Italian immigrant Francesca Ricci. When Francesca faces deportation before she can even set foot off the island, Alma feels compelled to help her beyond the limits of her job, even though she has been warned not to get attached to the immigrants. Desperate to escape her awful home life in Italy, will Francesca be permitted to leave the island and realize her dream of living in America?

After months or even years of saving money for the voyage and weeks living in squalor aboard a ship, "Here, at Ellis Island, all of their fright, courage, and --- most of all --- hope, funneled into this one moment: passing through the registry office, to the stairwell, the exit to their freedom, and to possibilities of which they could only dream before now."

"THE NEXT SHIP HOME is the epitome of historical fiction --- with meticulously researched information about the early 1900s, compelling and inspirational characters, an unexpected and powerful friendship, and even a touch of romance."

Having visited Ellis Island myself and been in awe of the Statue of Liberty, I was easily transported to the places mentioned in THE NEXT SHIP HOME. What these immigrants endured was beyond awful as they were poked, prodded and interrogated upon arrival, oftentimes in a language they did not understand. It's no wonder that Ellis Island was nicknamed the Island of Tears.

Pushed to work outside the home for the first time by her hardheaded stepfather, 21-year- old Alma is at first hesitant and unsure. After she settles in, though, she realizes how much she is able to help the immigrants realize their dreams. She also loves her newfound freedom and the exposure to new perspectives, ways of thinking, and the push to let go of her preconceived notions and prejudices based on race and/or nationality.

Meanwhile, Francesca thought that once she left the island, all of her troubles would be over. Unfortunately for her, they have only just begun. What else must she endure now that she has reached the shores of America?

Neither Francesca's nor Alma's lives are easy, but the way they both persevere, ever hopeful for a better future, is inspiring: “Hope. Yes, she carried it with her, let it nourish and feed her longing. Hope seeped into the secret spaces in her heart. It had given her the strength to carry on in her darkest moments. She hoped because there was no other choice.”

Based on true events and real people, THE NEXT SHIP HOME is the epitome of historical fiction --- with meticulously researched information about the early 1900s, compelling and inspirational characters, an unexpected and powerful friendship, and even a touch of romance.

If you love this book and want to know even more about Ellis Island during this time period, then I would highly recommend A FALL OF MARIGOLDS by Susan Meissner. If you enjoy Heather Webb’s writing style as much as I do, then be sure to check out her reimagining of “Phantom of the Opera,” THE PHANTOM’S APPRENTICE, as well as her collaborations with Hazel Gaynor: LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS and MEET ME IN MONACO, the latter of which was a finalist for the 2020 Goldsboro RNA award and the 2019 Digital Book World’s Fiction prize.