Author Description

<p><b>Winner of the European Union Prize for Literature</b></p> <p>"Josse powerfully evokes the spirit of the 'huddled masses' who landed on America's shores while creating a memorable portrait of a man torn between his commitment to his difficult job and the longings of his heart. Duty and desire clash in the melancholy reminiscences of a former Ellis Island immigration officer." <b>--Kirkus, *Starred Review*</b></p> <b>New York, November 3, 1954. In a few days, the immigration inspection station on Ellis Island will close its doors forever.</b> 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. <p>"French novelist Josse's melancholy English-language debut looks at the last few days in 1954 before Ellis Island was officially shuttered as a port of entry into the U.S. (...) Josse's powerful work finds the human heart within a career bureaucrat." <b>--<i>Publishers Weekly</i></b></p><p>"Gripping...<i>The Last Days of Ellis Island</i> is an absorbing novel in which beloved dreams are fast to shatter." <b>--<i>Foreword Reviews</i></b></p><p>