THEY say you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, but as a graphic designer I am always sucked in by cover design. Thankfully, in the case of Ellis Island, I wasn’t disappointed.

Set in the early 1900s, Irish girl Ellie marries her childhood sweetheart, John. When he is injured during the War of Independence, Ellie takes the huge step of moving to New York for a year to earn the money to pay for an operation to allow him to walk again.

However, she is seduced by America and stays longer than planned, only to return when her father dies.

The book then follows the couple as they both try to come to terms with having been apart and what the separation meant to them both.

If you like historical novels, you will love the romance and glamour that this book brings. There is none of the usual slush of chick lit, as Ellie realises that freedom comes from within.