Profane Feasts

Profane Feasts, 13 stories by Tom Tolnay is a sequence of thirteen story-chapters focusing on a family of Greek immigrants who settled in Brooklyn, New York in the 1970s, with their misadventures extending up to the present day. With humanistic and humorous intent, the subplot follows the Hestiakos-Dropoulos family as part of an unconscious "movement" to reinvent the greatness of their ancient culture by "taking over" North America one coffee shop, one hot dog stand, one neighborhood at a time. The surface story line is how these individuals--each story focuses on a particular family member--make their way as transplanted products of that early great culture into the "upstart societies" thriving across the Atlantic. Subliminally their lost greatness makes them feel part of something important even though they are far removed, by time and circumstance, from the civilization upon which the western world was founded. The word "Feasts" in the book's title refers to various human "celebrations" which act as signposts in their journey, including a wedding, baptism, funeral, Christmas, Easter, Greek Independence Day. The "Profane" from the title refers to the wacky occurrences which arise as these celebrations unfurl or, in some instances, unravel... Tom Tolnay is a writer whose keen insights into the myriad ways in which culture can shape character always make for rewarding reading. Nowhere is that more true than in these stories of a family of immigrant Greeks trying to assimilate to the streets of Brooklyn. Here you'll find grit and tenderness, mystery and pathos, comedy and tragedy, and dreams fulfilled and unfulfilled. The characters are all beautifully drawn, and some are infused with such indomitable spirit that they lift off the page and remain in memory long after the cover is closed. Several of the stories have appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. Taken together they comprise a "novel in stories," a much bigger tale told with vivid prose, compelling style, and a lot of heart. —Janet Hutchings, Editor-in-Chief, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine