Every emotion lives in this story, love, sex, humor, gambling, friendship, murder, pride and tragedy, exciting tales that begin in the steel mill town of Steubenville, Ohio and travel to the village of Kardamyla, Chios, Greece. Steubenville, nicknamed little Chicago, was home to gambling, prostitution, nightlife, and stars like Dino Crocetti (Dean Martin) and Jimmy the Greek. Two diners, Angelo's (Italian) run by Myrna, and Easy's (Greek), were popular with the ethnic mill workers. Easy and Myrna were like family. Myrna's mentally-handicapped daughter, Angelina, was sexually abused. Her son, Frankie, a gambler and womanizer, adored his sister and took her to his mistress, Dr. Sandy Horwitz, who confirmed a pregnancy. He slit the throat of the rapist and pushed him over the bridge into the Ohio River. Dimitri, a wealthy ship owner from Chios, Greece, was driving to Steubenville. He saw Frankie on the bridge carrying a bloody knife and rescued him. Dimitri designed a plan to take Frankie, Dr. Sandy, and Angelina to Greece and he would adopt the baby. He sailed on the Olympia for 12 days. The ship was a hotbed of interludes, romances, and sexual encounters. Dimitri left early to see his childhood sweetheart, Katina, and prepare for his guests who were arriving by yacht. He and Katina remembered their youth and Dimitri's widowed mother, Marika, who adopted her. His mother was in love with Saranti, the cafe owner. During the German occupation in Greece, Dr. Georgios Cohen switched babies with a Greek family from the village just before the Nazi's in Thessaloniki captured his daughter. Dr. Cohen was secretly supporting his grandson, Saranti, who didn't know where his financial luck came from. When the doctor finally met his grandson, they bonded. Saranti invited him to open a clinic in the village. The doctor, nicknamed Papou, was wise and generous and became the most beloved man in Kardamyla village. He met and married a poor widow who adored him, and he persuaded Saranti's sons to become doctors. Dimitri was enamored with the doctor and hung on his every word. Dimitri became a sea captain. He saved the life of a shipping tycoon, married the daughter, Penelope, and inherited the ships. He was a savvy businessman due to Papou's teachings and turned his fortune into an empire. Saranti and Marika were killed in an earthquake, and Katina was forced to marry. Dr. Cohen died of heartbreak. Dimitri returned to the village and discovered that Papou had died and Katina was married. They made love which produced twin girls. Angelina, Frankie, and Sandy came to Kardamyla where they discovered that Angelina was deaf, not mentally handicapped. Her deafness was surgically corrected and she was taught Greek and English. When Angelina had the baby, Dr. Sandy and her new boyfriend, Saranti's son, Dr. Yiorgo, adopted Francesca. Dimitri kicked out his miserable wife and asked Katina to leave her husband and bring the twins with him to Ohio. Katina died in Dimitri's arms when her husband shot her.
About the Author: Maraki grew up in an ethnically diverse town in Ohio and her stay-at-home mom was a tender influence when she read poetry and sang to her every night in Greek and English. She became a poet and writer at a young age, moved to Chicago, married, and had one wonderful daughter who gave her the precious gift of twin granddaughters. She wrote a travel column for What's Happening Newspapers for many years, a national restaurant column, short stories, and two chap books of poetry, which is her passion. She also worked for the Greek National Tourist Organization.