"Every man's lifestyles is an Odyssey; it doesn't topic if the physique continues to be rooted in a single position, for it's the middle and the spirit that trip to Ithaca."

So speaks Father Marias, the shut pal and the clever non secular adviser to Kostas Volakis - the hero whose personal Odyssey supplies sweep, strength, and imaginative and prescient to this novel of Greek-Americans within the first a part of the twentieth century.

The motion of the tale spans 4 generations within the kin Volakis” from the cruel island existence on Crete, during the emigration of Kostas and his bride, Katerina, to the us, and their joys and sorrows with youngsters and grandchildren. a few battles are received. Many are misplaced. And the years march ahead from 1919 to 1954 because the reader stocks with Kostas Volakis his look for the verities of existence, his ever-growing notion of himself and his kinfolk.

With marvelous expertise the writer conjures up the concord and dissonance of Hfe within the Greek group in Chicago, the place Katerina and Kostas first consider the effect in their new global.

Kostas: "I have come from where of my depression to where of my destiny."

Katerina: "There are such a lot of autos. they appear to hurry correct at us. God needs to be indignant at males who create monsters equivalent to this."

But because the years move by means of, the lives of Kostas and Katerina extend to include:

Cousin Glavas, the eating place proprietor: "A eating place is sort of a zoo. The animals grunt and tear and rend their foodstuff. do not get too shut otherwise you may well lose a finger."

Aeneas, the first-born: He was once a tiny immortal, a creature now not of the earth, with an extremely attractive head and a crown of darkish, high quality silken hair.

Doctor Barbaris: "This 1920 is a potent 12 months. gigantic Jim Colosimo is shot and Wabash street is draped in black . . . Prohibition arrives using a hearse. additionally this loopy Cretan has had a son."

Daughter Rhodanthe: "I are looking to love him loads that he'll need to come again to me. You both.think i'm too younger. this present day the younger needs to develop up quickly."

Alex, the second one son: "Even prior to i used to be born i'll consider your hate in my blood! you place me on a lifeless boy's eyes! You made room for me in his coffin!"

Manuel, the 3rd son: "Don't take it so difficult. Papa. so long as there are ladies on this planet there'll be boys after them."

Angela, the daughter of middle-age: She grew fats and rosy-cheeked and bloomed like a flower.

And between all of them there's love. "I can't degree out my love as others degree components for a cake. i like with all of the love I have," says Kostas. yet for one he holds no love yet simply hatred. And that hatred leads inexorably alongside the trail to a dramatic and violent climax.