National Philoptochos Welcomed Three-Time Emmy Award-Winning Author Yvette Manessis Corporon
New York, NY – On Wednesday evening, December 7, 2022, the National Philoptochos warmly invited its members and guests to attend an exciting opportunity to hear from three-time Emmy Award–winning writer, author, and producer Yvette Manessis Corporon. The evening was hosted at the newly renovated Philoptochos Center of Philanthropy in Murray Hill as the first in-person event at the National Philoptochos Office since the start of the pandemic.
Initially a journalist by trade, Yvette decided years ago that she wanted to tell the history of her own family, starting with the sacrifices her grandmother’s family made for a Jewish family on their Greek island during World War II. She emphasized the “philotimo”, the true love and hospitality, that the family showed to those seeking refuge. Yvette told additional personal anecdotes on growing up as a first-generation Greek American, which helped her shape her fiction novels. The stories that Yvette shared resonated with audience members across generations, evoking questions and positive feedback for the author.
Yvette’s newest book, a historical fiction novel Where the Wandering Ends: A Novel of Corfu, is a rich story of two young friends who are separated by an unspeakable tragedy during the Greek Civil War. The story is charged with themes of love, hope and courage, while painting the picture of the rich culture in the Ionian islands. For example, in an engaging introduction in one of its chapters, Yvette pulls the reader into the scene:
“They knelt side by side in the church where they had come countless times to pray. Above them the ceiling dripped with dozens of silver lanterns dangling down as if raining silver teardrops from the heavens. The walls were all adorned with rich amber- and gold-painted icons depicting various saints, including the one they had come to pray beside. The scent was familiar and comforting to them. They knelt in the tiny room beside the silver casket that held the mummified remains of Saint Spyridon, the miracle worker of Corfu.” (Manessis Corporon, Yvette. “Fourteen.” Where the Wandering Ends, Harper Muse, 2022, pp. 83.)
In one of the book’s shining reviews, #1 New York Times bestselling author Christopher Anderson described it as “A soul-stirring tale of love, loss, friendship, family, and fate set amid the ravages of war, Where the Wandering Ends is especially relevant today. Yvette Manessis Corporon writes with grace and crystalline clarity about what matters most: the transcendent resilience of the human spirit.”
The event was well attended by Philoptochos Spiritual Advisor, His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos, National President Arlene Siavelis Kehl, First Vice President Anita Kartalopoulos, visiting Metropolis Presidents Irene Politis of Atlanta, Debbie George of Detroit, Marilyn Tzakis of Chicago, Paulette Poulos, Director of Leadership 100, chapter members of the Direct Archdiocesan District and the Metropolis of New Jersey, and many other guests. The attendees enjoyed refreshments, and everyone who purchased a book received a personalized signing from Yvette.
To watch the full lecture, you can access it here via YouTube. For Philoptochos chapters at the local level, this can be an enriching piece to show at the next meeting. To purchase Where the Wandering Ends, Yvette’s prior books and other media, visit her website.
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The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society is the philanthropic arm of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The Society has historically responded immediately and generously when floods, hurricanes, devastating fires, and other disasters affect those around us. For more info, check out www.philoptochos.org.
