About
Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, I’m a graduate of Transylvania University—in Lexington, Kentucky, not Romania—where I met Aris, the charming Greek student I married. Like many who love writing, I chose law school, earning my law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
I practiced labor and employment law for 34 years, all but two of them in Pittsburgh. I was a full equity partner at two Pittsburgh law firms and held leadership roles in both. I was listed in Best Lawyers in America and other peer-reviewed publications, I also held leadership positions in several nonprofit organizations and the local Bar Association and served for 15 years on the faculty of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, educating fellow attorneys. I frequently spoke to business and HR organizations and published articles on legal topics as well.
I was also a corporate spouse. Aris rose from Senior Engineer B to become President and CEO of Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC—and I never got a nickel of legal work from it.
We loved everything about Pittsburgh—except the weather and the roads. The climate drove us to retire to Naples, Florida, for the months we’re not on the beloved Greek island. In Naples, I serve on two nonprofit boards, volunteer in the community, participate in four book groups, cook, and write.
Greek by Osmosis: My Life on a Small Greek Island (with Mama Kiki's Recipes) is my first book. It hit Amazon #1 Bestseller in Cyclades Travel Guides less than two weeks after publication.
Featured Work
Greek by Osmosis: My Life on a Small Greek Island (with Mama Kiki's Recipes)
Greek by Osmosis is a warm and witty memoir chronicling an American woman’s decades-long immersion into life on a small Greek island after falling in love with a charming Greek student. From navigating a real estate market with no agents, to building a house via faxes and faith, she discovers a special world without secrets, ruled by Island Time, mysterious bureaucracy, and endearing customs. Along the way, she battles cement-eating ants, goat invasions, and attacks by a murder of crows, while learning to cook Greek foods at her angelic mother-in-law’s elbow.
With humor and heart, she captures the joys and frustrations of learning Greek (imperfectly) and adapting to island life—where the night sky stuns, hospitality abounds, and even doing the laundry is an adventure. Infused with Greek words, recipes, and mishaps, Greek by Osmosis is a love letter to an island, a marriage, and the beautifully chaotic adventure of becoming part of another culture.
Blending heartfelt storytelling, vivid sensory detail, authentic Greek recipes, and affectionate observations, Greek by Osmosis invites readers to experience Greece not as tourists, but through the eyes of an insider who reveals the beauty in everyday island life.
Amazon #1 Bestseller in Cyclades Travel Guides for over 30 days.
Other Works
Awards and Recognition
- Readers' Favorite 5 stars
Press and Media Mentions
- On a Small Greek Island, A Former Pittsburgh Attorney Discovers a New Chapter Worth Writing About
- Debut Memoir Recounts Life on an Idyllic Island
- A Life Learned Slowly--Greek by Osmosis Finds the Greece Beyond the Postcard
- The National Herald: Laura Candris Shares Her Memoir, Greek by Osmosis
- Atmosphere Press: An Interview with Laura Aristidou Candris
- Greek by Osmosis: My Life on a Small Greek Island by Laura Aristidou Candris is a BHW pick, perfect for readers who enjoy travel and memoir
