I couldn't get through this title. It ended up not being for me, but I hope it finds a hope with other readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Having recently finished the previously published ‘The Next Ship Home’ by Heather Webb, I am happy to have had the chance for the Advanced Reader’s Edition e-copy; thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark!

This absorbing, descriptive story was filled with the abuses that took place on Ellis Island and was an eye-opening look at how vulnerable immigrants fleeing their homelands were as they hoped and struggled for a better life. It was also a story of friendship and learning to courageously accept the independence and freedom to choose a future filled with the opportunities in America.

“When you know a person’s language, you come to find out who they are.”

Webb has written a story that has grabbed my attention. The journey of Alma and Francesca was so fascinating to read. Webb is a new to me author, but she has easily made her way into my watch list. Her descriptions, character arcs, history, and writing style is just so beautiful.

Let’s start with her descriptive writing. From foul odors, to the view of America, to the streets of Ellis Island and more, Webb managed to not only make me imagine the scenes vividly in my head, she was able to get all of my senses involved. When she talked about certain odors, I could smell them. When she talked about how the immigrants looked coming off the ships and the hustle and bustle involved with that, I could feel them standing near me. She easily transported this reader back in time as if on some magical time ship.

Then you see the growth of Alma and Francesca, each on their own separate journey yet put together by unfortunate circumstances. There were moments of tears for this reader, both in good ways and bad. What these poor young women had to endure (there could be some trigger points for readers as an FYI) was simply heartbreaking. But Webb continued their story, growing them and making them resilient despite their circumstances. Oh it was just so wonderful to read.

I will make note that there was some language in this book that I kind of glanced over, so if you’re sensitive to that be on the lookout. It really wasn’t a lot – but it was still present.

Overall, this wonderfully written historic novel is one that is going to sit with me for a very long time. Language aside, I think this would be a great tool in a history class (for older teens/young adults) studying Ellis Island. You can see the depth of research Webb put into each and every page. It simply took my breath away.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh wow. Took me a while to get to this book but it was a good one. I haven’t read many books based in this time and the influx of immigrants arriving to America. The sad thing is the awful things written in this book are true. There is no telling how many awful things were done to immigrants just wanting a better life, by some jerk just because they had the power to do so.

I loved the characters Alma and Fran. Fritz and Jeremey too! Maria broke me.

The Next Ship Home is written by the talented Heather Webb. I remember getting this book and being so excited to get started but it fell into the abyss in my Kindle. This year I made a goal to read everything I’ve downloaded before I get more, and that’s when I found this little gem hidden on page three in my library. I loved this book so much. The characters, the setting, the storyline, and the love story…..my favorite. Years ago I took a trip to New York and took the boat to Ellis Island. The building is massive and some parts very beautiful and others very sad and depressing. You can tour the building and they have items on display and you can walk the path the immigrants would have taken as they arrived and went through the tedious process. Reading this book I could picture everything I had seen firsthand and it actually made me want to go back. I really enjoyed The Next Ship Home and I highly recommend to anyone in the mood for historical fiction.
Alma is happy to have her job at the Immigration center on Ellis Island but she’s quickly overcome by the lack of adequate staff and an over whelming amount of immigrants coming in to the center. Men and women, families, all speaking different languages and some not well from their travels. If they cannot prove they have family in America or jobs to go to they will be sent back on the next ship. On Alma’s first day she encounters a beautiful Italian woman and her sister who have just arrived. Alma should mind her own business and keep her head down but she can’t help but feeling for Francesca who is ripped away from her sister immediately. Francesca has no one to speak for her and the her days are numbered at the center, Alma wants to help her find away to stay if she can. Alma goes out of her way to call upon a man who Francesca met and who she could possibly convince to give Francesca a job, all she needs is to convince him to write her a note and give this women the opportunity of a new life.
Francesca is ready to start her new life but her freedom comes at a price and she’s willing to look the other way because she cannot go back home. She will keep what happened to her at the center private and work hard at her new job to prove she deserves to be here but not all secrets can stay hidden. Francesca and Alma have become best friends but Alma is to be married to the very man who hurt Francesca upon her entry to Ellis Island. This secret threatens to take away everything Francesca has gained, her job, her friend, and the very man who saved her and has showed her nothing but love and kindness. All will be revealed as Alma starts to see corruption within the Immigration staff and news of wrong doings come to the surface. Both women will be hurt by the same man but the out come will affect them differently. Will their special friendship hold up when the truth is revealed? And can Francesca hold onto the one man she has ever truly loved?
You’ll have to read it to find out!

I enjoyed this historical fiction that follows two women bound to each other at Ellis island. This book was also well researched.

The Next Ship Home is the story of two women, who meet on Ellis Island. One is starting work on the island and one has arrived on the island. Francesca and Alma aren’t finding it the most welcoming place. Ships come and go taking people back and brining new immigrants in. There is corruption and sexism. Women have to watch out for themselves and that is how the two become friends. They need to work together to avoid the problems that immigrants and workers can fall into. This book is based on a true events and the author did a great job of telling the story of each lady. I really enjoyed the story and the characters. This was a four star read for me. I want to thank Netgalley and Heather Webb for my copy of The Next Ship Home, for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this story.

Wow, wow, wow! The Next Ship Home is the perfect example of historical at its finest. What an incredibly-written story!

This book well-illuminated the dark reality of of Ellis Island and I so appreciated this honest look. What would have been real experiences for the immigrants there were not glossed over or made light of. At times this was truly a heart-wrenching read, inspired by true events. It was powerful and eye-opening. At the core, this is a story of hope, of resilience, of friendship, of strength amidst hardship and struggle. The story truly came to life on the pages through Francesca and Alma’s characters and their stories. I loved getting to know these two women and really felt their emotions and circumstances right alongside them, making for a very compelling read. This is one of those books that you turn the last page on feeling changed for the better.

I applaud what Heather Webb accomplished here with this story and the meticulous research that clearly went into it based on the rich historical detail the reader gets. Really, every single element here was executed perfectly and I just cannot sing enough high praises. This memorable hist fic read is one you don’t want to miss!

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the gifted e-copy.

The Next Ship Home is the newest book by @msheatherwebb and it tells the story of two very different women who find themselves on Ellis Island. If you are unfamiliar with this place, Ellis Island was a large immigration center for most people who traveled to the US arriving in the NY harbor from 1892 to 1954.

In the book, Alma is a young woman who is working on Ellis Island when she meets Francesca. She is an immigrant from Italy who has just arrived. They build a friendship as two young women fighting for their dreams in a time where women and immigrants weren’t respected. The land of the free isn’t as easy as expected (and still isn’t!)

I love that this book was inspired by true events. The book has a gritty, realistic description of how life was for many at the turn of the century. This is my first solo Heather Webb book, and I’ll definitely be reading more. I loved her book, Meet Me In Monaco that she wrote with Hazel Gaynor. I was very impressed by the the writing and the details. She clearly did a lot of research for this book and all her books.

Thank you so much to @suzyapprovedbooktours, @bookmarked, and the author for my gifted copy.

I enjoy reading historical fiction. And this book was different than my typical read. I enjoyed learning about the immigrants that arrived in America through Ellis Island. The author’s research was extensive and her note at the end provided background information about real and fictional characters found in the book and what inspired Heather Webb to write this book. While America was viewed as the land of opportunity, they were often met with corruption and abuse. This was an emotional tale of love and friendship amidst the stark realities that the immigrants faced.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

I LOVE historical fiction, and this book definitely did not disappoint. This is the story of two unlikely friends, Alma and Francesca. Alma was born in America, and taught to dislike all immigrants, especially those from Italy. Francesca is an immigrant from Italy who comes to America thru Ellis Island, where Alma works.

This book was so emotional and really brought to light the many issues immigrants experience. I loved the friendship between Alma and Francesca, and how they grew as characters. Very highly recommend this book.

Review published on Goodreads, 28 June 2021:

Ellis Island has a fascinating history, so I was immediately interested in reading THE NEXT SHIP HOME, a historical novel set at the iconic site. Although I've always thought of Ellis Island in positive terms—as a place that offered freedom, hope, and new beginnings to poor, weary immigrants—this novel focuses on its dark side, which included racism, prejudice, bribery, sexual misconduct, exploitation, cruelty, and more. As you can imagine, this makes for a story that is often sad and heartbreaking. It's also a hopeful tale, though, one that celebrates friendship, found family, independence, and understanding. While the novel deals with some harsh themes, overall it's a clean read, which I always appreciate. I enjoyed these aspects of the novel as well as learning more about Ellis Island and how it operated.

As far as setting goes, I definitely wanted more. I've been to Ellis Island, but I still wanted Webb's depiction to bring the place to life for me, to make me feel the emotions that were felt there and this didn't quite happen for me while reading THE NEXT SHIP HOME. The characters left something to be desired as well. While both Alma and Francesca are sympathetic heroines, neither is overly unique or memorable. I felt for them both, but I didn't feel super connected to either of them. Plot-wise, the novel has odd, uneven pacing. The first part is compelling, the middle drags, and the ending is abrupt and anti-climactic. It feels like Webb just ends the story without building up to an exciting climax, which makes the story feel dissatisfying. Given all this, I ended up feeling more meh about THE NEXT SHIP HOME than I wanted to. Overall, I'd say it was just an average read for me. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't love it either.

Alma is a matron on Ellis Island; Francesca is a young woman hailing from Sicily. They become friends, but when as efforts to reduce corruption on the island come to the forefront, they must choose whether they will step forward or stay silent to protect themselves.

Long ago in elementary school, our teacher decided that a good way for us to learn about immigration in the early 1900s was to put on a play for our parents. We did not, of course, learn about the rife corruption among immigration officials – and there was plenty of it.

The author does a good job of showing the constraints that Francesca and Alma face for their gender and their rank in society. In this book we see people show a lot of kindness and a lot of cruelty, and the interplay between the two, which made for interesting reading. I also enjoyed the friendship of Francesca and Alma, and the way the two of them looked out for each other. The hints of romance were also very cute.

However, I definitely thought some parts of the story were weak. I did not understand why Francesca and Alma became such fast friends, and why Alma was so willing to help this woman specifically to the extents that she did. The conflict toward the end of the book, as well as its resolution, despite supposedly being high stakes, didn’t really grip me. I also wished the ending was not left so open.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Ellis Island setting of this book, and watching the two main characters form a friendship that seems unequal at first, but gradually grew to be a supportive bond.

I loved learning more of the history of Ellis Island and I was glued to the journey that Francesca faced to start a new life in America. I also enjoyed that this novel had a dark side, and featured 2 female characters that are flawed but help each to move closer to a more fulfilling life.

Loved it. Life affirming, haunting and inspirational.

Heather Webb is an author going from strength to strength in my opinion.

I have been obsessed with Ellis Island since I learned about in elementary school, so this was an excellent setting for me. I also really enjoyed the character of Alma, because my paternal grandfather's family came from Germany and I've always wondered if they came through Ellis Island. I know the author did a lot of research and it was evident in the details throughout the story. I loved learning about the different neighborhoods of NYC back at the turn of the century. I'm also glad I visited Ellis Island myself a few years ago, as it made the story come alive even more.

I love Barbara Taylor Bradford's books usually but this one I couldn't get into at all. I read a few pages and that was it for me. Couldn't even get to my usual 50-100 pages to determine if I liked it. Not sure if it was because it was the prequel or if it's because of a male character which I usually don't read many about.

The Next Ship Home tells the story of Ellis Island. Alma comes from a family of German immigrants. She is a linguist who gets a job working on Ellis Island. On her job, she meets Francesca, an immigrant who fled to America to escape her abusive father. Both Alma and Francesca want to make a better life for themselves. Can these women make their dreams come true despite the obstacles that lie in their path?

Francesca and Alma had potential. However, I found them to be very bland. I could not connect with their characters. They seem to be very beautiful and flawless. They are not complex and are stereotypical. The only downfall they have is that they come from abusive households. Both of them didn’t really seem to grow as characters. The only one who had more development was Francesca because she grows from a naïve woman full of dreams into a mature wise woman who is willing to fight for dreams. However, she comes across as mostly passive throughout the novel. Alma is the stereotypical outcast who doesn’t conform to society. She doesn’t grow from beginning to end. Their friendship also seems forced. Because they are not developed, II did not feel any emotion towards the hardships they were going through. Therefore, these characters had potential but remained passive and flat.

Overall, this novel is about dreams, hardships, and friendship. Ellis Island has always been seen as the promise of hope and freedom for Americans. However, in The Next Ship Home, this novel shows us the dark side of Ellis Island and the hardships immigrants faced in America. There is a lot of corruption on Ellis Island and it was not easy to get through the barriers and get off of Ellis Island. There were many ways an immigrant could be turned away. This novel also shows the racism and hardships that first-generation immigrants face once they settle into America. Therefore, it was an interesting look that shows the hardships of immigrants trying to get into America as well as those that are already in America. The downsides of this novel are the flat characters, the undeveloped romances, and a thin plot that was very drawn out. Still, The Next Ship Home is very meticulously researched and filled with lush descriptions. The setting is the book’s best feature. I recommend this for fans of Ellis Island, A Fall of Marigolds, and Grace’s Pictures! The Next Ship Homes is a fitting tribute to the many obstacles that immigrants have faced in coming to America.

As a New Yorker with family members who came through Ellis Island, I was glad to read this story of one Italian immigrant's experience as she arrived in New York in the early 20th Century -- and how her life intersected with that of another young woman who worked in the immigration system. Some of the story was hard to read, as it exposed the horrific treatment to which the immigrants could be subject. But the characters were well drawn and and sympathetic, and I was moved by the challenges they faced and the decisions they made. Ultimately this was a very satisfying read!

Definitely a five star read of my reading year, so interesting to discover the management of immigrants passing through the Ellis island immigrant centre and their progression to a better life as US citizens. The centre was not without its faults and draws parallels with the plight of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, seeking sanctuary and an improved way of life today. The ships carrying these passengers were often full of illness and disease and I was surprised to learn that there was a still a chance you’d be sent back to where to came from despite having endured the journey. The story is told from varying points of view, a German immigrant Alma who reluctantly starts working in the centre and the bond she develops with a Sicilian girl, Francesca, seeking the promise of a life away from her abusive father. It uncovers the racism, emotional blackmailing and corrupt nature of those who were there to ‘help’.

Thanks to Netgalley the author and publishers Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review

My Italian husband's grandparents went through Ellis Island at the same time that THE NEXT SHIP HOME is set, which made the reading all the more impactful for me. Modern Americans tend to romanticize the idea of coming into the country under the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, but the truth of the experience was often harrowing, dangerous, and flat out abusive, particularly toward women. Webb's characters are expertly drawn and Alma and Francesca's unlikely friendship will imprint itself on your own heart. An important read about America's immigrant experience.