Sweet Greeks
ebook ∣ First-Generation Immigrant Confectioners in the Heartland · Heartland Foodways
By Ann Flesor Beck
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Ann Flesor Beck's charming personal account recreates the atmosphere of her grandfather's candy kitchen with its odors of chocolate and popcorn and the comings-and-goings of family members. "The Store" represented success while anchoring the business district of Gus's chosen home. It also embodied the Midwest émigré experience of chain migration, immigrant networking, resistance and outright threats by local townspeople, food-related entrepreneurship, and tensions over whether later generations would take over the business.
An engaging blend of family memoir and Midwest history, Sweet Greeks tells how Greeks became candy makers to the nation, one shop at a time.
|AcknowledgmentsIntroduction
Chapter 1. Foundations
Chapter 2. The Journey: 1880-1930
Chapter 3. Acculturation and Americanization
Chapter 4. Finding a Niche in Chicago and St. Louis
Chapter 5. Greeks vs. Goblins
Chapter 6. My Grandfather and His Mentors
Chapter 7. Small City Greek Confectioners
Chapter 8. Small Town Greek Confectioners
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
|"The stories in the book are still relevant today, and the midwestern history is easy to devour because the places are familiar. . . . This book paired with some sweets from Flesor's Candy Kitchen would be perfect for anyone in central Illinois with a sweet tooth." —Smile Politely"This remarkable story is both unique and universal. It is the story of tenacious immigrant entrepreneurs overcoming enormous odds to find that sweet spot, making candy that would become a permanent feature of American daily life."—Ken Albala, author of Noodle Soup: Recipes, Techniques, Obsession
"The value of Sweet Greeks rests in its recovery of the names and personal stories of immigrant confectioners operating candy stores in small, Midwestern towns. Once an important niche for Greek entrepreneurs, candy stores also provided community spaces. Then they disappeared. Could their revival breathe life into rural communities?"—Donna Gabaccia, coauthor of Gender and Migration: From the Slavery Era to the Global Age
|Ann Flesor Beck is a third-generation Greek confectioner and independent scholar. With her sister, she co-owns and operates Flesor's Candy Kitchen in Tuscola, Illinois.