by Costas Ayiotis
Published by NB PublishersIn this charming and humorous coming-of-age memoir, young Costa finds himself in the middle of a tempestuous matriarchal triangle. His sulky, young mother Victoria is forced to share her home and her kitchen with both her conservative Greek mother-in-law and her bossy, divorced sister-in-law. A raucous war in the kitchen between the three women takes place, not only for oven territory but they also compete for the affection of their beloved “Kostaki” by spoiling him with endless culinary treats.
Young Costa, the bemused (and often confused spectator and narrator) watches how his hard-working, cotton trader father must try and navigate the three demanding women’s endless complaints and demands. And then there’s the evil eye of envy... As the prequel to the smash hit My Big Fat Greek Taverna, Matriarchs is an intricately woven portrait of the Greek immigrant experience, telling the poignant and often comic tale of a family trying to navigate South Africa in the 1960’s and 70s.
