The Summer of My Greek Taverna : A Memoir

Reading these little expat memoirs used to be a pleasure, but now there are so many self-congratulatory accounts that they've long since begun to pall. Greek Taverna is a welcome exception. Stone manages to convey the essence of Greek island life, geography, and ambience without attempting to convince the reader that life in those parts is idyllic and carefree. Indeed, Tom and his family encounter as many problems and stumbling blocks as they might have in NYC, as well as enjoying the beauty and simplicity (all is relative). Reading his experiences is as refreshing as a dip in the Aegean. Bravo to Tom Stone for his honesty, sense of humor, and willingness to remain in Greece despite the bursting of the bubble of his dream.

I approached this book on a travel writing level where you would read Lawrense Durrell and Henry Miller books about Greece. I did experience this in addition to a great story about finding (and losing) your life-long dreams.

As recorded in the brief summary above, the book follows the author's adventure one summer trying to run a Greek taverna on the Agean island of Patmos. The book recounts how the author set up shop, ran it daily with his dubious Greek partner, and finally discovered what his dream really meant to him. The narrative seems to take place before Patmos become a hot tourist location (before 1990), yet Tom Stone doesn't reveal any dates. The author's page revelas that Tom no longer lives in Greece, but in Southern California.

The book is light reading (probably take 2 hours of reading...after all it is only 199 pages) -- it includes with some folklore about the island (much revolving around St. John's visit in the first century). The recipies printed in the appendix are a nice touch, especially for those wanting to indulge in the culinary experience.

Stone's love story of running a Greek Taverna over the course of one summer is a gem. Rarely have I read a book that has engulfed me in its essence and put me in the middle of the narrative. I particularly took to the book because reading Stone's words I became completely engrossed with the many similarities I myself have encountered when spending my summers in Greece.

Stone's lush descriptions of the island of Patmos allow you to travel there instantly, him supplying you with the sights, sounds, and the smell of each moment in time. Paragraphs such as "There are places that seem to be waiting for you out there somewhere, like unmet lovers, and when (and if) you come upon them, you know, instantly and unquestioningly, that they are the ones. It is as if, far back in time, there had been an intimate connection to that very spot or person. So it was with Livadi. Even from as far away as the deck of the Mimeka, it had been love at first sight. I knew that there I would find not simply a house to rent but a place to belong to. Like Odysseus, I felt as if I were coming home to Ithaca after a long voyage through the troubled waters of foreign lands (including my birthplace) whose languages I had never really understood. [...] And it still amazes me to think that at that very moment, on another part of Patmos, in a little house on a cove that I had passed on the road to Livadi, the future mother of my children was sittting on her terrace pondering, as I was, what she was really going to do with her life now that she had finally gotten here."

Words like these are simply candy for the eyes and the heart. It allows you to be captured by the warmth, and the true essence of the author's passion for life. Sending chills down my spine I could picture Stone's arrival at that place, identifying many instances where I myself had the same feelings, be it Santorini or Egypt.

Tom Stone's journey to Greece started out quite "harmless" as an incentive to finish a novel he'd been writing for some time but just needed a place with the appropriate inspiration to fire off his last few chapters. Secluding himself like a monk for a month, he actually finished his novel, achieving what he came to Patmos for to do. As fate would have it, within weeks, another novel, his first, got sold. With his new-found "wealth" he thought "Why not stay for another month?" and another, and another... resulting in Tom Stone spending some 20 years in Greece. Patmos served as the stage for his life's play where he met his wife, and experienced his kids' growing up. In the 20 years, one of his most memorable experiences was running a Greek Taverna, The Beautiful Helen, for one summer, which, besides serving the traditonal Greek fare, he supplied with unique dishes he's concocted himself. For cooking afiocionadoes, Stone supplies you with detailed recipes of each of the dishes served at The Beautiful Helen that summer.

I could sense that even though Theologos (Stone's restaurant partner) royally cheated Stone over, he has not lost his love for Greece. Being Greek myself, it is good to know that by way of Stone's writing, deep in his heart he knows that not every Greek is a Theologos. There still are Greeks who hold honor and integrity very dear. Still, Stone's take on the life and culture of Greeks is as close as anyone's ever written.

The book's masterfully written with great wit and humor, full of adventure and comical situations, and a great way to experience Greece from home. You'll undoubtedly feel like you're at The Beautiful Helen and an integral part of the action.

Tom Stone captures the look, feel, sound and taste of Greece and serves it up in a bittersweet recipe of broken dreams. It's the real thing says someone who's been there, done that and is still there. Well done.

As a Greek-American who was born, and lives in the US, but also lived in Greece for 12 years, I am always very interested in reading the experiences of expatriates, especially those from the US. I took some time to read through the other reviews here, especially focusing on the ones with negative things to say. I must say this, because I like to keep my reviews brief: Tom Stone did not produce the perfect book here, nor do I think we should expect that from him---what he did do was absolutely capture both the Greek mentality and spirit, the beauty of the land and its culture, and the very difficult divide in which foreigners who live in Greece full-time find themselves. I highly recommend this book not just for Greek diaspora who want to wax nostalgic of the mother country, but for ANY American heading over for a visit, if not a longer stay. I recently recommended this book to two proteges of mine who were headed to Greece for a short stay, and a semester abroad respectively, and both told me upon their returns that it was a priceless learning tool which enhanced their visits, as well as a very enjoyable read. I cant think of any higher recommendation than that of didacticism and real world, in-country experience. Well done, Mr Stone!