At just eight years old, Katy O’Donnell stood on the Dublin waterfront with her beloved grandmother and watched as her parents boarded a ship bound for Ellis Island, leaving her with the promise they would send for her when they had settled and found work in that promised land of dreams. Following the old lady’s death, Katy discovers a hitherto untold dark family secret. Her mind is made up; now more than ever she needs to travel to America. There is something her mother needs to know … She embarks on a harrowing journey that is to change her life forever. Ellis Island opened in 1892 as a federal immigration station and saw millions of newly arrived immigrants pass through its doors. Many of them remained in New York, while others travelled by barge to railroad stations in Holboken and Jersey City on their way to destinations across the country. The story of Katy O'Donnell is purely fictional, but endevours to tell the story of one young woman's unique experience at that time.