Wheat Songs A Greek-American Journey [Hardcover]

Wheat Songs is a memoir of two interconnected Greek-American journeysan actual physical journey for the grandfather, Pericles Rizopoulos, and a philosophical quest by the author, Perry Giuseppe Rizopoulos. When the grandfather, Pericles Rizopoulos, a proud old man, tells his fascinating, tragic and true stories of the Nazi occupation of Greece during World War II and the following Greek Civil War, to his twenty-something grandson, Perry Giuseppe Rizopoulos, Perrys philosophical reflections on his grandfathers stories along with his own memories of growing up in his extended Greek/Italian/American family in the Bronx combine to create an enduring story about the strength created by a tightly-knit family and the powerful values passed down from generation to generation.

• The most outstanding feature is the interweaving of the grandfathers storiesrevealed in segments during progressive visits while the grandfather is in the process of dying, with the authors own stories about his relationships and struggle to understand what it means to be a contemporary man within his familys traditions. The interaction between the two men, one very young and the other very old, not only strengthens a bond that deeply affects the author, but resolves the grandsons struggle to reconcile his obligations to his grandfather, his pappou, with his desire to find his own path.
  

• The relationship between the grandson and his grandfather creates a universality that will appeal to people

• The cultural and historical specificity of the work will also make it appealing to groups of individuals including Greeks, Italians, Bronxites, New Yorkers and people interested in history

• The structure of the narrative make the historical and brutal aspects very accessible and weaves a story that will encourage readers to feel a range of emotions and feel engaged throughout

• It is a relatively short piece that packs a seril³Ô