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E-Book of the Week: Ellis Angels:The Nurses of Ellis Island Hospital By Carole Limata
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SL 2.0 Editors Note:
A great read for all but especially for nursing students!
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Ellis Angels:The Nurses of Ellis Island Hospital
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Product Description
Ellis Angels is the heartwarming story about the compassionate nurses of Ellis Island Hospital, the ladies-in-white, and the loving care they gave their immigrant patients. Ellis Island Hospital has been closed since 1954. When Superstorm Sandy bombarded New York Harbor in 2012, Ellis Island was left battered and flooded. During an extensive clean-up, a file cabinet was discovered in the long-abandoned, vacant hospital building. It was found to contain the files of a former Senior Nursing Superintendent. Filled with documentation of nursing procedures, notes, schedules, and pages from her 1924 journal, the tender tale of Ellis Angels was inspired from these rescued files.
Newly-arrived immigrants were facing enormous physical and emotional challenges. The Stanescu twins were separated from their parents, and admitted for favus scalp infections. Fabiana Morales, a beautiful young woman, came to America to be married, but was rejected by her future husband because of her unsightly goiter. Mrs. Ryan, pregnant with her fifth child, was hospitalized for pregnancy complications. Mrs. Brunne and her newborn were facing deportation because of the newly established Quota Law, and a teenager delivered her premature infant on the floor of the Women’s Detention Dormitory.
During her orientation, Miss Angie, a nurse recruit, learns the routines of the Hospital. She meets handsome Dr. Goodwin who is, unknowingly, searching for the nurse of his dreams. Miss Adeline, an experienced and spirited nurse, takes Angie under her wing. The Nursing Superintendent, Sister Gwendolyn, is keeping a watchful eye on her staff of Ellis Island Nurses.
Together, through their creativity and united efforts, the nurses and doctors of Ellis Island Hospital discover ways to help their patients follow their dreams. In the process, they achieve their own American Dream, as well.
Customer Reviews
This is a historical novel about the nurses of the Ellis Island Hospital during the 1920's, primarily focusing on a new nurse, Miss Angie, and the world she is immersed into once she begins work at the Hospital. Miss Angie's experiences with immigrant patients and other hospital staff serve to illustrate immigration procedure, prominent health concerns and political pressures of the day. This story reminded me a lot of Jennifer Worth's Midwife Trilogy, in it's tone and organization and I believe anyone who enjoyed that, will enjoy this. The descriptions of the life that the nurses lived and the impact they had on so many new immigrants was fascinating! Great Read!
Inspirational, educational and charming historical fiction about Ellis Island's hospital and the immigrants it served.
By Terry Campisi RN
This book is a must read for anyone who has had ancesters who traveled through Ellis Island immigration process.
The hardship the immigrants experienced , and the determination they had to succeed ,was inspirational. The author created characters who represented the strongest of the strong , and the weakest of the weak. There were the ones who entered America with dreams of a better life and made their dreams come true. But also the less fortunate ones whose only glimpse of America were through the enormous windows of the registration building or the hospital wards. They all arrived with hope and anticipation of a better life. But many were deported soon after arrival because of medical conditions, or other bureaucratic reasons. This is their story, and the story of the nurses who cared for them.
If you are a nurse, you will gain even further insight into what nursing care was like then. The main character, Nurse Angie was a inspirational young girl who also traveled through Ellis Island as an immigrant . With support of family, and education, she found her dream. Other than the technology we have today, nurses' mission of compassion and dedication has remained the same. I am so proud to be one of them. And so proud of my grandparents for being so courageous. This book left me wanting to learn more about Ellis Island and it's immigrants.
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