NEW YORK – The National Philoptochos hosted three-time Emmy Award-winning writer, author, and producer Yvette Manessis Corporon on December 7 at the newly renovated Philoptochos Center of Philanthropy in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan as the first in-person event at the National Philoptochos headquarters since the start of the pandemic.

Initially a journalist by trade, Corporon 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’, true love and respect that the family showed to the persecuted people. During the event, Corporon told additional personal anecdotes about growing up as a first-generation Greek-American, which have informed her novels as well. The stories that she shared resonated with audience members across generations, evoking questions and positive feedback for the author.

Corporon’s newest book, a work of historical fiction titled 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, the engaging introduction to one of its chapters includes the following:

“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.”

New York Times bestselling author Christopher Anderson described the book 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.”

Among those present at the well-attended event were Philoptochos Spiritual Advisor His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos, National Philoptochos President Arlene Siavelis Kehl, First Vice President Anita Kartalopoulos, visiting Metropolis Presidents Irene Politis of Atlanta, Debbie George of Detroit, Marilyn Tzakis of Chicago, Leadership 100 Director Paulette Poulos, chapter members of the Direct Archdiocesan District and the Metropolis of New Jersey, as well as many other guests. The attendees enjoyed refreshments, and everyone who purchased a book received a personalized signing from the author.

The full lecture is available on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3URyF2q. For Philoptochos chapters at the local level, this can be an enriching piece to show at the next meeting. Yvette Manessis Corporon’s books are available online: https://yvettecorporon.com.

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.

More information is available online: www.philoptochos.org.