American Gyro

“Warm, bighearted and irresistible.” Elise Juska, author of Reunion

Johnny Demos knows he must leave behind his close-knit family and their small-town restaurant if he wants to pursue his dream of becoming an actor in New York. With the passing of his Greek-immigrant grandfather, the weight of family responsibility looms heavier than ever.

Just as the future of the restaurant threatens to pull him back, a surprising family connection lands Johnny a dream role opposite his Hollywood idol-his one chance to break into the movies. But a sudden tragedy forces Johnny to confront a life-altering decision-one that will define who he truly is and what he values most.

American Gyro is a modern reimagining of the American Dream, once embodied by Johnny’s grandfather, and now left for Johnny to redefine on his own terms.

Author Biography

Jim Zervanos is the author of two memoirs, Your Story Starts Here: A Year on the Brink with Generation Z and That Time I Got Cancer: A Love Story, and two novels, American Gyro and LOVE Park. His award-winning essays and short stories have been published in numerous literary journals, magazines, and anthologies. A graduate of the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College and Bucknell University-where he won the William Bucknell Prize for English and was an Academic All-American baseball player-he now teaches at a high school in the suburbs of Philadelphia, where he lives with his wife and two sons and has risen in the baseball pantheon as coach of two Little League teams. Visit: jimzervanos.com.