The time of the little black bird

the long version

"In 1906, a young, semiliterate Greek arrived in America with a few dollars in his pocket and his people's legacy of proverbs, superstitions, and cultural traits to guide him through the dangers and opportunities of a new world.". "The Time of the Little Black Bird is a novel of generations, of loyalty, betrayal, tradition, and greed. Centering on a family business that grows from a few shabby storefronts and a run-down hotel near the Salt Lake City railroad yards, the story finds the Kallos family weathering the Depression and the war years to become rich. Beset, though, by awkward attempts to assimilate and by the testing of the family's values, the family solidarity unravels and is discovered to be a smokescreen for business treachery that had been developing for three generations."--BOOK JACKET.