Gus Flesor came to the United States from Greece in 1901. His journey
led him to Tuscola, Illinois, where he learned the confectioner's trade
and opened a business that still stands on Main Street. Sweet Greeks
sets the story of Gus Flesor's life as an immigrant in a small town
within the larger history of Greek migration to the Midwest.
Ann Flesor Beck's charming personal account recreates the atmosphere of
her grandfather's candy kitchen with its odors of chocolate and popcorn
and the comings-and-goings of family members. "The Store" represented
success while anchoring the business district of Gus's chosen home. It
also embodied the Midwest émigré experience of chain migration,
immigrant networking, resistance and outright threats by local
townspeople, food-related entrepreneurship, and tensions over whether
later generations would take over the business.
An engaging blend of family memoir and Midwest history, Sweet Greeks
tells how Greeks became candy makers to the nation, one shop at a time.