Son of Refugees

About the Book

In this book, while the author is translating his father’s Greek manuscripts written some thirty years ago, he describes life, suffering, and struggle to survive in the cruel world of the twentieth century. His father and mother both born in Greek cities of Asia Minor escaped the Turkish brutality and the Hellenic Holocaust of 1916 to 1922. They came to Greece in 1922 and survived the difficult and inhumane conditions of the refugee settlements. There they met, were married some time in 1935, and after losing their first child to poverty and conditions unfit to human dignity, they brought to this world in 1937 the author of this book, who was followed by seven other children. The author and five of the siblings are still alive today.

About the Author

In 1956, the author K. I. (Kosta) Selinidis embarked on a seagoing career with the Greek Merchant Marine that lead him to his destiny. He met his wife Dee in 1961 and married her in Port Arthur Texas, in 1963. However, life for the Greek immigrant was not easy. Fearing the poverty of his childhood would return, he decided in 1967 to embark on a career with the American Merchant Marine. Dee and daughter Anna went to live with his family in Greece. Dee, who could not speak Greek, inspired her father-in-law, who could not speak English, to write all the stories he was trying to tell her. He agreed and started writing hoping some day his son would translate his writing for his American daughter-in-law and his grandchildren. He assumed correctly that the grandchildren would not speak the Greek language and wanted to make sure that somehow they would have a way to get to know him.