Ralph Webster's Blog - Posts Tagged "holocaust"
a Smile in One Eye: a Tear in the Other
A Smile in One Eye: a Tear in the Other
Normally I would not blog a review by a Goodreads member but this one is special...
"The courage and resilience of individuals to survive one of history’s most horrifying times—the tumultuous violence of the Nazi regime—has been depicted through numerous narratives and films. But stories, recounted by actual family members of those shocking times, oftimes help define one’s self and find meaning in one’s life. So it is with Ralph Webster. He relates the absorbing story of family members in their quest to escape, and survive, a regime that defines them by their Jewish bloodlines.
Employing an epistolary format, Webster compiles his “labor of love” by using two narratives. The first narrator is Gerhard Udo Albert Wobser, the author’s father. In his bildungsroman, Gerhard describes his patriotic German upbringing, his Lutheran religion, and his escape to Scotland and then to the United States. Webster admits to the malleability of memory and that the book may be “flawed with errors and omissions.” However, while there are times where he patches together details from separate events to form a single occurrence, his creative blend of fact and “his interpretation of events” allow him to write a seamless, and meaningful, story.
The second narrator, Ralph Webster, uses journal entries to provide an intimate insight into his thoughts and feelings about his father, and about his family history. By using this form of narrative, Webster not only describes the horrors of a world war, he provides a direct connection to the current state of refugees around the world. In his quest for family history, peopled by memorable family members, and through a strong narrative of joy, pain, fear, depravity, and finally, happiness, Webster looks backwards to provide a bridge into the future for his children and grandchildren.
As Gerhard remarks, “ Always is never the same. Mela tells me that life has a smile in one eye, and a tear in the other. Life does find a way to create a balance somewhere between smiles and tears.” Ralph Webster in this remarkable book, with superb historical context, has found that balance—this literary piece is a captivating experience for his readers."
Ralph Webster
Normally I would not blog a review by a Goodreads member but this one is special...
"The courage and resilience of individuals to survive one of history’s most horrifying times—the tumultuous violence of the Nazi regime—has been depicted through numerous narratives and films. But stories, recounted by actual family members of those shocking times, oftimes help define one’s self and find meaning in one’s life. So it is with Ralph Webster. He relates the absorbing story of family members in their quest to escape, and survive, a regime that defines them by their Jewish bloodlines.
Employing an epistolary format, Webster compiles his “labor of love” by using two narratives. The first narrator is Gerhard Udo Albert Wobser, the author’s father. In his bildungsroman, Gerhard describes his patriotic German upbringing, his Lutheran religion, and his escape to Scotland and then to the United States. Webster admits to the malleability of memory and that the book may be “flawed with errors and omissions.” However, while there are times where he patches together details from separate events to form a single occurrence, his creative blend of fact and “his interpretation of events” allow him to write a seamless, and meaningful, story.
The second narrator, Ralph Webster, uses journal entries to provide an intimate insight into his thoughts and feelings about his father, and about his family history. By using this form of narrative, Webster not only describes the horrors of a world war, he provides a direct connection to the current state of refugees around the world. In his quest for family history, peopled by memorable family members, and through a strong narrative of joy, pain, fear, depravity, and finally, happiness, Webster looks backwards to provide a bridge into the future for his children and grandchildren.
As Gerhard remarks, “ Always is never the same. Mela tells me that life has a smile in one eye, and a tear in the other. Life does find a way to create a balance somewhere between smiles and tears.” Ralph Webster in this remarkable book, with superb historical context, has found that balance—this literary piece is a captivating experience for his readers."
Ralph Webster
Goodreads Choice Awards
Thank you to all! A Smile in One Eye: a Tear in the Other finished as a Semi-Finalist in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards in the category of Memoir/Autobiograpy. Being in the top 20 was an honor that exceeded every expectation. I am grateful.
A Smile in One Eye: a Tear in the Other
A Smile in One Eye: a Tear in the Other
2017 or 1933? Does history repeat?
“I can’t recite the chronology or elaborate on the facts. I can’t explain the reasons or defend how we lived our lives. What I can tell you is how the events of 1933 sowed the seeds that fundamentally changed our future, that there was little hand-wringing or emotion, that circumstances were beyond control, that there was no recourse or appeal. I can tell you that events were incremental, that the unbelievable became the believable and, ultimately, the normal.”Ralph Webster, A Smile in One Eye: a Tear in the Other
Writing Books about Family
One question frequently asked by book clubs is "What challenges did you face when writing books about your family?"
There should be no illusions. Writing a book about family is complicated. It can be controversial, often touching emotions that are raw and personal. At least it is a little easier to write about a past generation. There are fewer family members still standing to offer their criticisms and observations.
I think anytime one unearths old relatives and attempts to bring them back to life on the written page, it is safe to assume that there will be many opinions, impressions, and recollections to sort through. That is a risk the author takes. Not everyone will agree. Family members will view the past through different lenses - and certainly with different emotions.
I can argue that having different views of the past creates the kaleidoscope that history requires. Memoirs and biographies are rarely intended to be instant replays or videotapes. Stories, because they are told and retold, are subject to the teller's interpretation.
Obviously one needs to be sensitive and respectful to the feelings of others. And, of course, there is a balance and a true historian (which I do not claim to be) does not have the luxury of rewriting history to accommodate the personal sensitivities of others.
As I wrote my books, I had to keep reminding myself what I was trying to do. There was and remains a very distinct purpose to my writing. I want to use my family's story to shine a light on the immigration debate taking place in the world today - and I only have my family's history to offer.
My parents and grandparents lived in a different era. They were part of a different generation and were faced with a different set of circumstances . What they had in common with many of today's refugees was that they were trying to make their way to America hoping to find safety, security, and opportunity for their family.
By sharing my family's stories in such in a personal way I hope readers will experience the anxiety, fears, uncertainty, isolation, hope, disappointment, and dreams of those forced to leave their homelands for reasons none of us will ever begin to understand. Perhaps we can all learn from my family's determined perseverance - how they put one foot in front of the other one step at a time.
If I can craft books that make readers feel that they were there in the moment, that they were there living this immigrant story, then I have accomplished what I set out to do - to make us all remember that refugees are the victims. Let us never cast them as the enemy.
Ralph Webster
There should be no illusions. Writing a book about family is complicated. It can be controversial, often touching emotions that are raw and personal. At least it is a little easier to write about a past generation. There are fewer family members still standing to offer their criticisms and observations.
I think anytime one unearths old relatives and attempts to bring them back to life on the written page, it is safe to assume that there will be many opinions, impressions, and recollections to sort through. That is a risk the author takes. Not everyone will agree. Family members will view the past through different lenses - and certainly with different emotions.
I can argue that having different views of the past creates the kaleidoscope that history requires. Memoirs and biographies are rarely intended to be instant replays or videotapes. Stories, because they are told and retold, are subject to the teller's interpretation.
Obviously one needs to be sensitive and respectful to the feelings of others. And, of course, there is a balance and a true historian (which I do not claim to be) does not have the luxury of rewriting history to accommodate the personal sensitivities of others.
As I wrote my books, I had to keep reminding myself what I was trying to do. There was and remains a very distinct purpose to my writing. I want to use my family's story to shine a light on the immigration debate taking place in the world today - and I only have my family's history to offer.
My parents and grandparents lived in a different era. They were part of a different generation and were faced with a different set of circumstances . What they had in common with many of today's refugees was that they were trying to make their way to America hoping to find safety, security, and opportunity for their family.
By sharing my family's stories in such in a personal way I hope readers will experience the anxiety, fears, uncertainty, isolation, hope, disappointment, and dreams of those forced to leave their homelands for reasons none of us will ever begin to understand. Perhaps we can all learn from my family's determined perseverance - how they put one foot in front of the other one step at a time.
If I can craft books that make readers feel that they were there in the moment, that they were there living this immigrant story, then I have accomplished what I set out to do - to make us all remember that refugees are the victims. Let us never cast them as the enemy.
Ralph Webster
