The Piano Bench
A story of survival - of secrets and betrayal, love and deceit, happiness and heartbreak
by Ralph Webster
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Pub Date Feb 28 2023 | Archive Date Apr 12 2023
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Description
"A story of desperation and triumph which will linger in the mind long after it has finished,"- San Francisco Book Review
Born to a middle-class Jewish family in the late 19th century, Josef Samson grew up believing that the possibilities for his life in his beloved Germany were limitless. As the fourth and only son to survive the rigors of childbirth, his doting parents were ferocious advocates and fearless protectors, always encouraging him to pursue his passions and dreams, never allowing Josef to fear or fail in any way. And when Josef came of age, on the dawn of the new century, it was a time of swagger and self-confidence, and Berlin, where he lived, was a tolerant and vibrant city filled with culture and ambition.
Berlin was where Josef fell in love and married, where he practiced his profession and prospered, and where his patriotism was stirred. But this would not last. After confronting the horrors of the First World War and suffering tragic losses, Josef is forced to rebuild his life, only to come face-to-face with the devastation and cruelty brought about by the rise of Hitler and the Nazis.
A victim of circumstance, he must find his way, having to choose between love and responsibility, home and safety, hoping against hope that each step in his journey will take him closer to a secure future, even as it means bidding a sad farewell to his cherished homeland.
Written by Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee Ralph Webster, The Piano Bench is a story of survival – of secrets and betrayal, of love and deceit, of the heights of happiness, and the despair of heartbreak.
Advance Praise
"The compelling, heart-rending, and inspiring story of a seemingly ordinary man who lives through undeniably extraordinary times as a middle-class Jew in Germany through two world wars. Main character Josef Samson is a suitably complex everyman character who allows readers to experience the glorious highs and devastating lows of life viscerally. A story of desperation and triumph which will linger in the mind long after it has finished."
—Erin Britton, San Francisco Book Review
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9798839630499 |
| PRICE | $15.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 431 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Kathryn M, Reviewer
this was a beautifully done historical novel, it had what I was hoping for from the description. The characters were great and it worked as a memoir as well. I enjoyed getting to know Josef Samson, I really felt for him. Ralph Webster has a great writing style and I'm excited to read more from Ralph Webster.
"Unlike Inge, who was kept in the dark and given no forewarning, I did inform Kaethe of my planned departure the evening before I left for Paris. This announcement was quite heartbreaking for her, as it truly was sudden and unexpected. Her reaction was one of disbelief, confusion, and certainly anger, which was quite understandable."
Gabi M, Reviewer
This was a wild ride, to say the least. I honestly didn't expect to get a complete history lesson about Germany from the 1890s to 1940. It was a lot of detail in such a short time. However, I think it is presented in such a way that it isn't too dense or academic. It felt like someone who experienced it. Which makes sense as a memoir. It was great to see the perspective of someone who was Jewish and German during this time was very intriguing.
I have never gone from hating a man so much to feeling such compassion and rooting for him. Did Josef do some terrible and was kinda a menace to the first 2 women in his life? Absolutely! But by the end, I didn't realize how attached I had become to him. I think at points he went into way too much detail about random things that didn't matter or people who really had no impact on the story. This led to some parts being really slow but overall it was very well-paced. The writing was beautiful and really immersive.
I wish I got to see more of what went on with Inge and Josef in New York. I feel like that bit was lacking in the plot. The rest of the storylines were well flushed out. I was a little sad not to see them live in America but I get why this story ended here.
Reviewer 1101371
I was surprised how my initial reaction to Josef changed from his first introduction. When introduced I decided that I disliked him. . I found his emotional growth enchanting. Whilst the book does explore war in much detail, I found myself ploughing through this as I had found myself invested in him and his journey. His complex relationships with the many women in his life were a joy to explore. Some of these relationships were very detailed and others were unexplored much to my dissatisfaction as I wanted to know more about them too.
Karna B, Reviewer
“The Piano Bench” by Ralph Webster
ARC Review – 4 Stars
The story of Josef Samson, a German Jew and his three wives through WW1 And WW2.
I was drawn to this book with the impression that I would get the real story behind “The Other Mrs. Samson,” which I have not yet read. Wanting to give Josef Samson a fair shake, I decided to try his memoir first when I was fortunate to score an ARC from Book Sirens.
The story was somewhat long and drawn out but I enjoyed the journey and got caught up in the personalities and life stories of most of the characters. Being based on real people there is no room for critique of how Josef’s life played out – he did what he did and he was who he was and we are left to either care for or be frustrated by the man.
We are introduced to the need to learn about Josef’s life when we learn that he is confronted with the reality that his former wife, Inge, had located him. I would have liked to have seen that part of the story embellished a bit. We were sort of abruptly brought back to the beginning of Josef’s life story without learning what happened to Inge.
I enjoyed Ralph Webster’s writing style and his well researched approach to WW1 And WW2 history.
Louise P, Reviewer
Man, I thought this must have been the longest book I'd ever read. But I checked, and Amazon said only 368 pages. After a slow start, during which I almost gave up, it finally piqued my interest. The title motivated me to request it from NetGalley, as I am a professional pianist, but while it did mention the main character playing the piano, the bench was, more or less, symbolic and really didn't figure into the plot.
Josef was a Jew, born and reared in Germany. An accomplished and respected doctor, he swore he would never leave Berlin. He even made his first wife leave San Francisco and come to him, as he refused to live in America. The story is rich with history which covers both World War I and World War II.
One thing that kept me reading is that early on in the story, it tell of Josef meeting someone named Inge in New York and her shock at running into him. I thought, "What?? Who in the heck is Inge, and why is Josef in America?"
I wanted to keep reading to learn the answers to these questions, and I guess you could say that I sort of did, but it was at the very end and not a satisfactory conclusion.
Review is now on Goodreads and will be posted on Amazon and BookBub around the 28th of February when it releasesl
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