Book Review - Until We Reach Home

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Author: Lynn Austin

 

Title: Until We Reach Home

 

Setting: A small village in Sweden, Ellis Island, Chicago in the late 1800s

 

Main Characters: Elin, Kirsten, and Sofia Carlson

 

Summary: This is the story of three young sisters from Sweden. After, the death of their parents, the Carlson sisters experience many hardships. Because of these hardships they decide to leave for America and join an uncle who lives in Chicago.

 

They dream that America will be different than their life in Sweden. They imagine that they will be well off, have servants to do the work, and that they will spend most of their time in leisure. But reality soon sets in while on Ellis Island. They experience sickness and separation from each other.

 

Finally after time on the island, they are finally able to go to Chicago. They arrive and soon realize that they are not going to be served but that they will be the ones doing the serving.

 

My opinion: I enjoyed this book very much. As someone who has recently learned that they are of Swedish descent, I was captivated by the journey these three young girls take. I could imagine my own relatives leaving their small village and making their courageous journey across the sea.

 

I especially loved the story line of Sofia and a man she met while at Ellis Island. I won't give away too much but I will tell you that Sofia, who only speaks Danish, meets a man who only speaks German. They begin a wonderful friendship not of words but of the heart.

 

This book made me laugh. It made me cry. I was disappointed when it ended. I highly recommend reading this book. It is a good read for those who enjoy historical fiction and for those who love the story of how people made the bold move to leave everything behind and come to America.