The Last Days of Ellis Island

Winner of the European Union Prize for Literature. New York, November 3, 1954: In a few days, the immigration inspection station on Ellis Island will close its doors forever. Told in a series of poignant diary entries, the last immigration officer of Ellis Island looks back over 45 years as gatekeeper to America. He recalls his brief marriage to beloved wife Liz, and is haunted by memories of a transgression involving Nella, an Italian immigrant. Original.