Penelope Dennis

The Mayor of Turtle Bay: the Memoirs of Helen Denis Penelope Dennis

Publisher Marketing: A great story teller, Helen Denis revels in her memories as she reminisces of "the wonderful times we had on the farm." Born of Greek immigrant parents in 1913 and raised on a farm in Staten Island, N. Y., she was the eldest daughter of 10 children. Here are remarkable accounts of their parents'' indomitable spirit, their incredible sense of family and community, and their strong ties to their Greek culture and traditions. Though it was a struggle to raise a large family during the Great Depression, the Anagnostis family will impress you with their incredible inner spirit and zest for living. Helen Denis and her husband, known simply as "Denis," have put a lifetime of work into their store, The Denis Flower Shop. It has become synonymous with the great lady who ran it for nearly 50 years. Along with her husband and her brother, Johnny Anagnostis, Helen Denis built the business to a pinnacle of high reputation and success. Throughout her life, she always charted her own course. In her work, Helen made no compromises. Her customers including many celebrities knew they could rely on Helen Denis for her professionalism and her excellent taste. In addition to her gracious manner and charismatic personality, her loyal customers expected the best and always got it. A formidable woman endowed with a keen sense of humor, Helen has been blessed with an inner strength and optimism inherited from her parents. Recounting the stories "in her own voice," Helen Denis brings her youth, career struggles, and humorous accounts of her extraordinary family to life in these pages.