Ralph Webster (1) (1951–)

Imagine yourself sitting down with an elderly woman and listening as she tells you her life story. This is what Ralph Webster brings to readers as he recounts a beloved family member’s experience during WWII.

This is not your typical Holocaust story. There are no camp experiences--no violence of any kind. There are some nail-biting moments, however. Webster presents a view of the war that is a bit different.

Elsa and Paul are German Jews who had immigrated to Naples, Italy as young adults. show more They married and raised a family there. When the children were grown, Elsa and Paul decided to buy a small hotel and the experience brings out another side to Elsa.

There are a few interesting stories about the guests at the hotel and about how the clientele changed as World War II started. Once Italy entered the war, Elsa and Paul and their children realized they needed to get to America. Easier said than done!

I had always wondered why people didn’t leave sooner or leave at all, and through Elsa’s account, many of the reasons are explained. I appreciated her perspective from being both German and Jewish and being an Italian citizen during the time that Mussolini entered the war.

The book had some passages that were redundant and rambling, but I can forgive that seeing as it’s told from the voice of an elderly woman. Still, a bit of editing would have moved the story along and helped to keep readers engaged. I loved how the story came full circle and resolved some mysteries about Elsa’s friends.

Many thanks to NetGalley and CreateSpace for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to give my honest review. show less

This story is told in 98-year-old Elsa’s words and written by her grandson, Ralph Webster. I was enthralled with the writing style and it being voiced by Nina Price and became further wrapped up in the story as it progressed.

Elsa, as a young German Jew, visited Italy and fell in love with Paul. They married and raised four children together while Paul was in the export business.

As this was during times of the great depression, money was tight so they purchased the Pensione Alexandra, a show more hotel/boarding house with a view of the Bay of Naples. They became Italian citizens who identified as Germans. As were many, they were horrified by stories of Hitler and concerned with Mussolini's fascism. Eventually, they realized that leaving Italy must happen.

In America they had family who would be willing to take them in. However, due to the United States tightening the immigration laws after war broke out in Europe, they made an intermediate stop in Cuba, prior coming to America.

This is a compelling and captivating read and Webster brilliantly captures his grandmother's mood in a way that tantalizes and yet frightens.

The book was provided by the generosity of the author for an honest review.

An interview with the Ralph Webster is on my book blog. show less

I received a free e-copy of this book and have chosen to write an honest and unbiased review. I have no personal affiliation with the author. This is an amazing memoir. I really liked the way the author tells his Grandmother's story from a woman’s point of view and in a very relaxed conversational style. She comes across as a very kind and caring person as she tells her story. She is Jewish and grew up in Germany; she moved to Naples, Italy when she was 21 where she met and married her show more husband. This is the story of her life as a German and a Jew and the challenges the family faced in the years prior to and during WW II. During this time Benito Mussolini was dictator of Italy. We see a different view of Nazi Germany and The Holocaust. The many stories that she tells about the guests who stayed in the pensione are wonderful. She tells of their struggles as their life is affected by both Mussolini’s and Hitler’s rise to power and their difficulties obtaining passage to America to join their children as more restrictions are placed on Jews and Germans throughout the world. This is an extremely well written memoir and an amazing story. I couldn’t put it down. ‘One More Moon’ is well worth the read and I look forward to reading more from Ralph Webster in the future. show less

This is a well written family memoir about how WWII affects one family in Italy. It's mostly told by Elsa, the author's grandmother. As the book begins, it's the mid 1930s and Elsa and her husband have just opened a pensione in Naples, Italy. Elsa and her husband have raised 4 children and all but one are out on their own when Elsa decides to open and run a b&b. She tells the reader a lot about her early life as part of the Jewish community in Germany. After so many years in Italy, she show more considers herself to be part of the German community and as the Germans start their march across Europe, at first she isn't worried about her family future in Italy. Once they start hearing about the atrocities against the Jews, they realize that they need to get out of Italy and hopefully emigrate to America where thy have family. Getting papers to leave Europe for America at this time was getting extremely difficult and their future was very uncertain. By telling this story through Elsa's eyes, the reader gets the view of an ordinary family trying to live their lives the best they can and getting caught up in the results of war. It's heartwarming and a great read.

Thanks to Bookish First for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own. show less