A powerful debut novel about a Greek American family and its enigmatic patriarch from a riveting new voice in contemporary literature. Stavros Stavros Mavrakis, Greek immigrant and proud owner of the Gala Diner, believes he has just ten days to live. As he prepares for his final hours, he sends a scathing email to his ex-wife and three grown daughters, outlining his wishes for how they each might better live their lives. With varying degrees of laughter and scorn, his family and friends dismiss his behavior as nothing more than a plea for attention, but when Stavros disappears, those closest to him are forced to confront the possibility of his death. A vibrant tour de force that races to a surprising conclusion, Let Me Explain You is told from multiple perspectives: Stavros Stavros, brimming with pride and cursing in broken English; his eldest daughter Stavroula, a talented chef in love with her boss’s daughter; her sister, the wounded but resilient Litza; and many other voices who compose a veritable Greek chorus. By turns hilarious and deeply moving, this multigenerational novel delivers a heartfelt meditation on the power of storytelling and family, the relationship between fathers and daughters, and also the complex bond of sisterhood. Annie Liontas explores our origins and family myths, hunger and what feeds us, reinvention and forgiveness.

Let Me Explain You: A Novel

Literature & Fiction

Liontas, Annie

United States

Scribner

An unforgettable novel about a Greek American family and its enigmatic patriarch from a significant new voice in contemporary literature: “Hilarious yet rich…This debut by Annie Liontas will touch you” (The New York Times). Stavros Stavros Mavrakis, Greek immigrant and proud owner of the Gala Diner, believes he has just ten days to live. As he prepares for his final hours, he sends a scathing email to his ex-wife and three grown daughters, outlining his wishes for how they each might better live their lives. With varying degrees of laughter and scorn, his family and friends dismiss his behavior as nothing more than a plea for attention, but when Stavros disappears, those closest to him are forced to confront the possibility of his death. A vibrant tour de force that races to a surprising conclusion, Let Me Explain You is told from multiple perspectives: Stavros Stavros, brimming with pride and cursing in broken English; his eldest daughter Stavroula, a talented chef in love with her boss’s daughter; her sister, the wounded but resilient Litza; and many other voices who compose a veritable Greek chorus. Funny yet deeply moving, this “pitch perfect” (San Francisco Chronicle) novel delivers a thoughtful meditation on the power of storytelling. In Let Me Explain You, Annie Liontas explores our origins and family myths, the relationship between fathers and daughters, the complex bond of sisterhood, hunger and what feeds us, but “the novel’s true heart is one filled with love and forgiveness” (Minneapolis Star-Tribune).

Let Me Explain You

New York: Scribner

A “big rollicking, tender novel with a truly original comic voice at its center” (George Saunders), Let Me Explain You is about a Greek American family and its patriarch - - part Zorba, part King Lear- - and announces the arrival of a significant new voice in contemporary literature. Let Me Explain You begins with a letter: Stavros Stavros Mavrakis, Greek immigrant and proud owner of the Gala Diner in New Jersey, believes he has just ten days left to live. He sends a scathing email to the estranged ex-wife and three grown daughters, outlining his wishes for how they each might better their lives. He then prepares for his final hours and wonders why he is alone. With varying degrees of laughter and scorn, his family and friends have dismissed his behavior as nothing more than a predictable plea for attention, but when Stavros really does disappear, those closest to him are forced to confront the possibility of his death and the realities of their loss. A vibrant tour de force told from multiple perspectives and driving to a surprising conclusion, Let Me Explain You eulogizes Stavros Stavros, turning in part of his realization that “a man spends his whole life trying to say it better,” while giving necessary voice to the women in his life. This multigenerational novel explores our origins and family myths, reinvention and forgiveness, hunger and what feeds us. Let Me Explain You is a beautifully told, heartfelt story, and its meditations on the communal power of story telling and family-- most notably the relationship between fathers and daughters, but also the complex bond of sisterhood – are at turns and deeply moving.

HighBridge Company

Sex with a Brain Injury: On Concussion and Recovery

Biographies & Memoirs

Community & Culture

This powerful and deeply personal memoir in essays "reflects on history, philosophy, and love while living with head trauma" (The New York Times Book Review). "An infuriatingly gorgeous, important book." --Carmen Maria Machado, author of Her Body and Other Parties * "A riveting book about embodiment, pain, identity, and intimacy...this book is a stunning achievement." --Melissa Febos, author of Girlhood After suffering multiple concussions in her thirties, Annie Liontas shares what it means to be one of the "walking wounded" in Sex with a Brain Injury. Facing her fear, her rage, her physical suffering, and the effects of head trauma on her marriage and other relationships, Liontas is forced to reckon with her own queer mother's battle with addiction and finds echoes in their pain. Liontas weaves history, philosophy, and personal accounts to interrogate and expand representations of mental health, ability, and disability--particularly in relation to women and the LGBT community. She uncovers the surprising legacy of brain injury, examining its role in culture, the criminal justice system, and through historical figures like Henry VIII and Harriet Tubman. Through Liontas's sharp, affecting prose, we can imagine this kind of pain, and having to claw one's way back to a new normal. The hidden gift of injury, Liontas writes, is the ability to connect with others. For the millions of people who have suffered from concussions and for those who have endeavored to support loved ones through the painful and often baffling experience of head trauma, this intimate memoir of a profound affliction and resilience...stands as testimony to love and patience" (Kirkus Reviews).

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Liontas, Annie. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Liontas, Annie

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Liontas, Annie. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Let Me Explain You: A Novel

Let Me Explain You: A Novel

Let Me Explain You

Let Me Explain You

Let Me Explain You

Sex with a Brain Injury: On Concussion and Recovery

Sex with a Brain Injury: On Concussion and Recovery