Dark Blues - Paperback

by Peter Georgas (Author)

Straddling the cultural divide between his Greek roots and American birth, Alex Poulos can't seem to get traction to move on with his life. Feeling trapped and powerless, he abandons his immigrant parents and the Catholic woman he loves to face an uncertain future as a tin can sailor during the Korean War. His unresolved problems follow him, however, and he encounters more challenges, sometimes with hilarious results. After an ill-fated attack in North Korea, he becomes an unwilling and unlikely Navy Hero. Poulos sees the fiasco as a symbol of the mess he has made of his own life, but he refuses to become a pawn, not only for the ship and her crew, but also for those he left behind as he struggles to reconcile the forces surrounding him. Events unfold like a detective story, both for the reader and the young sailor who, in his quest for truth and meaning, uncovers a family secret that finally enables him to rebuild his life.

Author Biography

Peter Georgas grew up in Waseca, a small town in southern Minnesota where his father owned the Crystal Cafe and Candy Kitchen. He earned a BA in Journalism from the University of Minnesota. After graduating, he went on active duty for two years as an enlisted man aboard a destroyer, the USS Floyd B. Parks. His experiences during the Korean War served as inspiration for this book. Following a decade in advertising, he joined the staff of Walker Art Center in Minneapolis as the museum's first full time publicist. Later, along with his family, he moved to Austria where he was Director of the Salzburg Seminar. He and his wife now live in the Linden Hills neighborhood of Minneapolis.