Greenhorn, a humorous, mildly derisive term, often was applied to Eastern European immigrants in the early 20th century. Joseph Werlin, American-born, well-mannered and university-educated, might not seem to fit the image. But, on this journey, he even referred to himself as a greenhorn, an innocent abroad. Joe initially meant his diary only for family interest when he sent handwritten pages to his fiancée -- an aspiring journalist -- in Texas. Later, he recognised wider appeal. He interviewed Muscovites for their responses to the new Red order and offered insights into the 1928 German elections, noting the weak showing of the famous (or infamous) Hitler. Related correspondence, documents and photos illuminate dimly-lit places and stirrings in 1928. He senses no gathering winds of war, but he reveals tensions in this precarious post-WWI period, which a decade later will erupt with unimagined calamity. Joella Werlin, his daughter, develops this story and reveals his life as it turned out.
An appealing and original work, this book evokes to the reader, by its very title, Mark Twains Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court. I appreciate the challenges faced by an unworldly Ph. D. candidate from Texas in 1928, setting out bravely on a journey of exploration and discovery, motivated to understand foreign peoples and customs, the values and struggles of their time. What Joseph. S. Werlin saw and learned informed his life well beyond his academic objectives, and it informs the reader about both history and culture and the Texas greenhorn himself. Extracts of his perceptive letters, together with other documents compiled by his loving daughter, Joella Werlin, makes this a work of unusual and vivid interest. A riveting reading experience, shedding light on a gathering darkness that was to spread beyond Europe over the world. Margret Buchmann, PhD
Personally, I couldnt put the book down. It seems to have something for every history buff: Russia, Germany, Mexico, Judaism, anti-Semitism, the depression of the 1930s, academic life under the constraints of political turmoil. The correspondence between the writer and his fiancee adds further validity to the historical picture and is imbued with warmth and passion . . .
the daughters perspective and explanations fill the gaps . . . Joseph Werlin said, It will not be easy for me to forget my first impression of Moscow. It will be equally hard for me to forget my impressions of reading his diary! Dr Rima Greenhill, Stanford Humanities Center Fellow 2019-20 and Senior Lecturer in Russian Language Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, Stanford University.
