Elsa and Paul have, when they were in their fifties, decided to buy a pensione in Naples. The year was 1931 right before the war years would set in. Elsa and Paul were German Jews who eventually became Italian citizens. The story of life in Italy at the time of the rule of Mussolini is told in this book written by their grandson. He uses Elsa's words to tell of the times that people were going through with the rise of Hitler and the hatred that seemed to spread across Europe for the Jews.
This was a tale of adventure, of meeting people through the pensione, of eventually being able to come to America after many harrowing experiences. Living in Fascist Italy, Elsa and her family see the changes coming and once Hitler comes to power those changes did not bode well for Elsa, Paul, and their children. The children were able to come to America, but the road for Elsa and Paul to do so, was fraught with many difficulties.
Through all of this Else remembers and cherished the people and friends she and Paul made while owning the pensione. Her Italian neighbors embraced them, but of course the writing was on the wall where Jews were concerned as Mussolini aligned his country to Hitler and the war.
Ralph Webster has told a loving stoy of his grandmother and the trials and joys she lived through. Elsa embraced her life, loved her husband and her children and their children and lived until the age of ninety-eight.
This was a tale of adventure, of meeting people through the pensione, of eventually being able to come to America after many harrowing experiences. Living in Fascist Italy, Elsa and her family see the changes coming and once Hitler comes to power those changes did not bode well for Elsa, Paul, and their children. The children were able to come to America, but the road for Elsa and Paul to do so, was fraught with many difficulties.
Through all of this Else remembers and cherished the people and friends she and Paul made while owning the pensione. Her Italian neighbors embraced them, but of course the writing was on the wall where Jews were concerned as Mussolini aligned his country to Hitler and the war.
Ralph Webster has told a loving stoy of his grandmother and the trials and joys she lived through. Elsa embraced her life, loved her husband and her children and their children and lived until the age of ninety-eight.