Pour your favorite beverage, settle into a comfortable chair, and be transported to a small island in the Cyclades.
“Told with clarity, warmth, and a keen eye for detail… a portrait of an island and of a marriage.”
— Readers’ Favorite ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Synopsis
Greek by Osmosis is a warm and witty memoir chronicling an American woman’s decades-long immersion into life on a remote Greek island after falling in love with a charming Greek student. From navigating a real estate market with no agents, to building a house via faxes and faith, she discovers a special world without secrets, ruled by Island Time, mysterious bureaucracy, and endearing customs. Along the way, she battles cement-eating ants, goat invasions, and attacks by a murder of crows, while learning to cook Greek foods at her angelic mother-in-law’s elbow.
With humor and heart, she captures the joys and frustrations of learning Greek and adapting to island life—where the night sky stuns, hospitality abounds, and even doing the laundry is an adventure. Infused with Greek words, recipes, and mishaps, Greek by Osmosis is a love letter to an island, a marriage, and the beautifully chaotic adventure of becoming part of another culture. Vivid, atmospheric, and evocative, it transports the reader to the island with rich sensory details.
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If you buy an ebook, and would like the recipes in a Word file, send me a note below, and I'll send it to you.
Early Praise for Greek by Osmosis
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Carol Light, author of the Windy City and Southern Secrets mystery series:
"Greek by Osmosis is a delightful and candid memoir that transports the reader to a beautiful island in the Aegean Sea. "
"Greek by Osmosis is a thoroughly entertaining escape to a place some may visit but few will experience and embrace as this author has."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Clare Langley-Hawthorne, author of the Ursula Marlow Mysteries:
"This is such a delightful read - a true love-letter to a Greek island, combining memoir, food writing, and travelogue with witty insights as well as humor. If you enjoyed A Year in Provence or Under the Tuscan Sun, you will love Greek by Osmosis. "
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Carol Thompson for Readers’ Favorite:
"Greek by Osmosis: My Life on a Small Greek Island by Laura Aristidou Candris is a memoir that transports readers to the Cyclades through vivid detail and wry storytelling."
"What sets this memoir apart from similar memoirs is its blend of personal history with cultural observation." "Greek by Osmosis will appeal to readers who enjoy memoirs rooted in place, stories of cross-cultural marriage, or simply those who dream of Mediterranean summers. It is both a portrait of an island and of a marriage, told with clarity, warmth, and a keen eye for detail."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Alissa Deann for Readers’ Favorite:
“An engaging memoir… a love letter to the island and its people."
"Relatable and relaxing… shows that home is about love just as much as it is about challenges.”
“Detailed and inviting… I felt as if she was welcoming me to share in the food, culture, and hospitality of Greece.”
About me and my book
I'm originally from Louisville, Kentucky, and had no Greek background whatsoever. I graduated from Transylvania University—in Lexington, Kentucky, not Romania—where I met Aris, the charming and brilliant Greek student I married 51 years ago at age nineteen—over the objections of my parents.
Like many who love writing, I chose law school, earning my degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. I practiced law for thirty-four years, mostly in Pittsburgh (my adopted home town). I was listed in Best Lawyers in America and other peer-reviewed publications.
I began writing the stories that became this book in 2012 after we retired and started spending our entire summers on the island we love. When folks on the island made a fuss over the food I prepared, I decided to include recipes—especially those passed down by my angelic mother-in-law, Kiki. She would love that her recipes continue to give pleasure.
Writing this book was a labor of love—a love letter to the Island, Aris, and his mom. I hope that you’ll enjoy reading about my summer life on a small Greek island under the light of Apollo.
In addition to the friends who so generously helped me with this book, I hired humans--a copy editor, cover designer, and interior designer--to help make this book the best it could be.
If you like Greek by Osmosis, please write a review! I'm a new author and published independently because I didn't like the contracts I was offered, and some publishers said that I didn't have enough of a "platform," i.e., social media followers and the like. Your review will make a real difference; I will appreciate it more than I can say.
Island images
