What do you think?
Rate this book
Because Memory Isn't Eternal: A Story of Greeks in Upstate South Carolina
In 1895, Nicholas Trakas left his village in southern Greece, boarded a steamship for America, and made his way to another southern village, Spartanburg, where he became the South Carolina city's first Greek resident. He opened The Elite--one of the finest candy kitchens in the South--built a house on a lot he purchased for $44 and a pet parrot that could cuss in Greek, and began a wave of immigration from his home country into the burgeoning Upstate area.
A century later, his grandson, Deno Trakas, a writer and professor at Wofford College, explores a peculiarly Southern version of the Greek-American story in Because Memory Isn't Eternal . By introducing readers to four generations of Trakas family members, their remarkable friends, and their hardworking business partners, he tells a greater story and reflects on how these complex, larger-than-life characters have preserved the best of Greek culture down South. This intimate and often humorous memoir includes stories of Greek-American marriages, food, language, restaurants, religion, and misadventures, including the day two Trakas boys accidentally burned down the family's church.
A constantly repeated refrain at Greek funerals is ''Aionia i mnimi'' - ''May his (or her) memory be eternal.'' More often, Trakas reveals, memory is ''painfully, annoyingly short.'' His loving illustrated tribute to Greek-Americans assures that these stories and this history will not be forgotten.
A century later, his grandson, Deno Trakas, a writer and professor at Wofford College, explores a peculiarly Southern version of the Greek-American story in Because Memory Isn't Eternal . By introducing readers to four generations of Trakas family members, their remarkable friends, and their hardworking business partners, he tells a greater story and reflects on how these complex, larger-than-life characters have preserved the best of Greek culture down South. This intimate and often humorous memoir includes stories of Greek-American marriages, food, language, restaurants, religion, and misadventures, including the day two Trakas boys accidentally burned down the family's church.
A constantly repeated refrain at Greek funerals is ''Aionia i mnimi'' - ''May his (or her) memory be eternal.'' More often, Trakas reveals, memory is ''painfully, annoyingly short.'' His loving illustrated tribute to Greek-Americans assures that these stories and this history will not be forgotten.
212 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2010
1 person is currently reading
4 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 14, 2024
Awesome insight into the history of Greeks (mostly Spartanburg but also Greenville county) including some anecdotes from the Greek Civil war following WW2 and the fighting with Turkïye post WW1.
The title is really meaningful to me because I strongly agree that stories both big and small should be preserved and passed down as best as they can and I am happy Deno was able to do this for his families history.
The title is really meaningful to me because I strongly agree that stories both big and small should be preserved and passed down as best as they can and I am happy Deno was able to do this for his families history.
Displaying 1 of 1 review