"Easy to read and hard to put down, this convincing novel gives a poignant and believable picture of the lives and motivations of some of this country's immigrants, and of one boy who learns about himself. An enjoyable and informative tale."  School Library Journal

"Woodruff's well-researched novel beautifully describes the similarities between an orphan's and an immigrant's search for a home." ALAN Review

Dominic Cantori is an orphan.

Ashamed of his situation, Dominic avoids making friends for fear of exposing his terrible secret.

One day on a class trip to Ellis Island, a tour guide asks everyone about their families. Immediately, Dominic flees from the class and hides in a closet, where he falls asleep for hours.

When he wakes up, the museum is deserted. Lonely and afraid, he picks up one display telephone after another, listening to the recorded voices of immigrants who describe their lives in faraway countries and their journeys to Ellis Island.

To Dominic's surprise, the voice of an old Italian immigrant speaks directly to him!

And before he knows it, he's transported back in time to Italy in 1908. There, he unlocks the door to his past, and discovers just what it feels like to be loved by his own family.