Let me first state that I did not read Ellis Island so I had no history of Ellie prior to meeting her in this 2nd installment of a trilogy. The story is written in a straightforward prose with lots of historical background and many believable characters.

Kate Kerrigan's second novel revolves around Ellie's life back in the U.S. after the death of her husband. She has run away from her grief and hopes to lose herself in the glittery, fast-paced, life of New York City. Unfortunately, the depression has also come to New York.

Ellie is, as the back cover says, "a woman ahead of her time". She is smart, intelligent, and a shrewd business woman. Rather unheard of in late 1930's America. It's her capacity to find solutions to problems that gets Ellie back on her feet.

I didn't like her character very much. I found Ellie to be self-centered, demeaning and intolerant, especially towards men, even her husband. While in Ireland she seemed to value her work and businesses over her husband using the pretense of giving them a better life to justify her actions. She runs away because she can't deal with her grief and gives the impression that John was at fault for dying....how dare he!

So if Miss Kerrigan wanted to create a protagonist that left you wanting for more than what you got, she did an admirable job! I can't say I didn't like the story as much as I didn't like the main character.