Prosilio
Toward the Sun
by
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In 1956, four related families shared the old farmhouse in New Paltz, New York on a memorable summer vacation. Our mothers ran the household like a summer camp for the ten cousins who ranged in age from toddlers to teenagers. We children played in the sunshine while our fathers worked in the city. What our families did not tell us was that our carefree summer destination had been the scene of murder a dozen years before. They sheltered us from knowing that Uncle Petros was murdered at the farm. Instead they taught us about living life to the fullest as my great aunt Philanthe did even though she lost a brother, a daughter and two grand daughters to her son-in-law’s jealousy. We discovered the inspiration of PROSILIO, our family’s village in Greece, which translates “Toward the Sun.”
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About the Book
Carol La Monda spent one memorable childhood summer in 1956 with her family at a quiet, peaceful farmhouse in New Paltz, New York. Four mothers and ten kids ruled the roost, as the fathers worked in the city. It was a time of love and joy—a glorified summer camp for the cousins. How could the children ever have guessed that the fun farmhouse held such a tragic secret? In this Greek family, a tragedy unfolded at the farmhouse years before. Carol’s great aunt Philanthe lost her brother, daughter, and grand-daughters, at the hand of her murderous son-in-law. But the murders were kept a secret from the children—a secret that would only be unraveled many years later. Prosilio: Toward the Sun is not a memoir of murder, revenge, or despair. Carol’s great aunt survived the tragedy; she went on to live her life to the fullest. The children at the New Paltz farmhouse learned their own lessons that summer in 1956, thanks to the careful guidance of loving parents. It is always possible in life to walk away from the shadows, if only we learn to walk into the light.
About the Author
Carol La Monda is a retired high school and middle school English teacher. She lives in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York with her husband and near to her children. She writes a bi-weekly column, entitled “A Jar of Olives,” for her local newspaper.