"There was no use tryin' to sleep. This was the last night we'd be tossed by the waves in our narrow bunks. We were due to pull into New York Harbor at dawn, puttin' an end to the most unbearable two weeks of my life" (Chapter 1, p. 3).

"We had heard many tales of Ellis Island - the place where the immigration officials decided whether or not ye were fit to enter America's gates" (Chapter 2, p. 11).

"Soon we could see Ellis Island up ahead. It looked like a confection, with its four domed turrets and dozens of arched windows edged with cream-colored bricks. It was hard to imagine that this pretty place could hold such terrible disappointment for some of the people on board with us" (Chapter 2, p. 11-12).

"The stories we'd heard back in Ireland were true. The streets in America were indeed paved with gold" (Chapter 5, p...