One More Moon-Goodbye Mussolini! One Woman’s Story of Fate and Survival

Ralph Webster
Narrator: Nina Price
Genre: 
Audiobooks

HISTORICAL:  Elsa and Paul, a married couple originally from Germany, decide to buy the Pensione Alexandra in Naples, Italy while in their 50’s.  The Pensione is a small boarding house in Italy. Elsa and Paul are Jewish, and a good part of this incredible story occurs in the decade leading up to World War II, during the reign of Mussolini. The first half of the book details life in the pensione, as they share their home with their guests, many of whom return to visit during the course of the story.  The latter part of this audiobook shares their struggle to leave Italy and get to America to avoid the persecution that many Jews suffered with the rise of Hitler and Nazism in Europe.

This book brings a historical chapter of World War II to life in a way that history books and lecturers never can.  There are so many insights and ways of observing that turbulent period in history that enthrall the listener of this audiobook.  This story takes the listener on an incredible guided tour of Naples during the 1930’s, while the whole world looks away as Hitler does his best to destroy the Jewish race.  The tension builds slowly but steadily, and there are some wonderful surprises toward the end. It is also relevant in today’s world.

Ms. Price does an amazing job with the voices in this audiobook! She doesn’t break character when she is voicing Elsa or any of the other memorable characters. Her German and Italian accents sound authentic and believable, and the southern accents at the beginning and end of this audiobook are spot-on. It is refreshing that one narrator has so much variety in her range. The recording sound quality is also excellent.

Carey Sullivan