City of Hope: A Novel

While the story is interesting, there is something off about this book.The main character is intensely selfish—which is really saying something, since the primary plot of the book is her buying, renovating, and opening homes for little or no charge to homeless families during the Great Depression. She is also strident, difficult, angry, whiny, bossy, and just not very nice.Because I couldn't like her, it made it difficult to like the book.Written by Kate Kerrigan, this is the second in the Ellis Island trilogy. At the book's opening, Ellie Hogan has been back in Ireland for 10 years following her three-year adventure in New York City that was the focus of the first book, "Ellis Island." She is (somewhat) happily married to her childhood sweetheart, John, but both are saddened by their failure to have a baby. And then tragedy strikes. Ellie flees to New York to escape the memories of Ireland, but finds her favorite city has drastically changed now that it's 1934 and it's in the throes of the Great Depression. Thanks to several successful businesses she started in Ireland, Ellie seems to have unlimited money at her disposal, despite that fact that everyone else is living at or near poverty. After witnessing the trauma of homelessness, she decides to do something about it, opening homes where people can live and work together. And then the man she thought she would never see again comes waltzing into her life, turning everything upside down.So what is wrong with the book? The plot is rather thin and totally predictable. In addition, parts of it are laughably contrived and so unrealistic. Virtually all the characters are stereotypes. Most of all, Ellie Hogan is just so annoying! I find it hard to like a book when I don't have some sympathy for the main character. Most of all, the story often descends into a soap opera—and not a very good one, at that.The book was a disappointment.

I read Ellis Island and enjoyed that one and was really looking forward to the 2nd book. I ordered it as soon as it was available. The Story was good; however I became very dissapointed in the deveolpment of Ellie's character. Even though she did a lot of good in taking care of the poor with the 2nd empire that she built in America it seems to me that she was very selfish in her life. She built releationships with people based on love and as soon as she ran into a problem; she turned her back and dropped them and ran from the relationship. She developed into a very selfish person. In the first book she left her husband to come to America and make money to get them and their family out of debt. But after establishing her self; she eventually falls in love and perpetuates a relationship w/a young man only to drop him and go back to Irland to be with her husband. Once there she falls in love w/her husband again; but demands to live her life as she wants; no comprimizing. She builds an empire in Ireland but when her husband dies; she turns her back on her family and drops them and her business empire and runs back to the US w/ no explanations. She creates her 2nd empire - Finds her first American love and starts a relationship w/him - that doesn't work - starts a 2nd relationship and when he falls in love w/her dumps him and all her friends once again. If there is a third book; I'll probley buy and read it......but I don't think much of Ellie's character anymore. As far as I'm concerned she is a selfish brat that doesn't think of anyone elses feelings but her own.

Though I was frustrated with Ellie and was angry with her at times, I loved this book. This is the second book in the trilogy and the second book by Kate Kerrigan that I have read and I think that she is a gifted writer. After John's death, Ellie was unable to face her grief and literally fled to America to hide from her pain. She is a woman who was, indeed, ahead of her time; a gifted business woman whose business ventures gave her enough money to support herself and the depression ravaged families that she met along the way. I FELT Ellie's pain and cried off and on throughout the book. I was frustrated with her inability to cope with her grief and to accept John's death. I was angry with her for substituting frenetic activity for contemplation but, still, I loved her. I don't want to spoil the book for other readers but I was furious at the ending until I saw that there is a third book in the series which I am looking forward to.I highly recommend this book but want to warn other readers that it is an emotional roller coaster ride with a cast of characters who seem real enough to walk off of the page and into your lives.

Have you ever seen a movie and waited breathlessly for the sequel? Well that's how I felt when I read "Ellis Island", I just couldn't wait to follow Ellie, John, Maidy, Paud and the other characters as they continued their lives in "City of Hope". What a let down. There are a lot of twist and turns in the book, some good some not so much.Ellie made so many trips from Ireland to the United States and back that it made me sea sick! I found that even for a fiction book Ellie's adventures were more of a "rags to riches" story than a tale of an Irish immigrant's life in the States. I wish my Irish great grandparents were still alive because I imagine they would tell me that very few Irish managed to reach the level of success that Ellie does.I hope you will read the book and disagree with my review. It is worth the read and everyone has their own perspective on things so you might absolutely love it.Happy Reading,

Thoroughly enjoyed as much as Ellis Island. Devoured in 2 sittings. Happy to have discovered Kate Kerrigan, author. Emotional in parts, as in the descriptiveness of the baby, Tom, and personally relating to that. Even though the storyline era of almost a century ago, one can relate to the inner turmoil and pain that the tug of two worlds can cause and the glory of America and her beckoning as I personally have experienced. In closing, did I miss something— what happens to Ellie’s mother? I was longing to know. Plan to read book 3 now and hope to gain insight into what happened to her mom. Loved the characters. Did feel the part where Bridie presents the hand on a platter was a stretch, though. Would that have actually happened? Will make for a terrific TV series, one that I’d happily watch. 🙏

Absolutely loved this book. This is the second book of Kate Kerrigan's that I have read and I equally enjoyed the first one. The book kept me engaged all the way through. Unlike many other books I didn't get bored halfway through. I wasn't able to predict the storyline which is probably why I liked it so much. Highly recommended. Can't wait to read more of the same.

This is an excellent sequal to Ellis Island. Quite unexpected "turn of events" but so well written that it compels the reader to keep turning the pages until you reach the end - and want it to continue. Fortunately, there is to be a third book published soon. I love the way Kate Kerrigan is able to draw the reader into understanding Ellie Hogan's character - but don't want to say more that will give away the details of the novel! Read and enjoy!

2nd book of a great trilogy. Love sagas and this travelled from Ireland to America and back again. Interesting characters with underlying social issues and mobility.

Great read as always from Kate. Super sequel to Ellis Island can't wait to see what happens before reading next book.