This book is written by Ralph Webster who tells the story of his grandmother who.lived through the reign of Mussolini during the 1930s in Naples, Italy. Elsa and her husband Paul who were German Jews, decided to buy a small hotel overlooking the Mediterranean and for a while lead an idyllic life. They have some famous and some interesting guests stay with them and are welcomed by their Italian neighbors. Then war breaks out and Mussolini sides with Germany and Elsa realizes the changes that will affect them when the Germans occupy Italy. They think that going to the USA is their best choice and fear that they will lose the hotel and most of their possessions. Then comes the lengthy process of trying to get their papers and travel documents together while some countries are not allowing people into their borders.
I found the book interesting as it answered questions I had about why some people seemed to stay so long while the war raged around them.