How does more than a million people die and nobody know about it? This is the story of the Armenian Genocide in 1915 & 1916. Here is my book review The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian.

Armenia

Thanks to my friend Ruth, this book was recommended to me just days before I arrived for a week long visit in the city of Yerevan Armenia. Thank goodness for that too. I really had only a spark of knowledge about this horrific historical event – mostly only what I had pulled up while reading blogs about Yerevan. Reading The Sandcastle Girls was eye-opening. A painful and terrifying time in history that no one talks about.

Book Review The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian

Bohjalian is a lovely writer and his handling of this sensitive subject was incredible, while still providing factual information in a fictional novel. The book begins with Christian missionary Elizabeth arrives with her father to Syria from Boston to deliver food and medical supplies to Armenian refugees. The missionary party is appalled at what they find in Aleppo and the efforts by the Turks to cleanse the area of Christina Amermenias. The missionary operation stumbles on roadblock after roadblock in its effort to get supplies to the refugees in need.

Elizabeth befriends Armenian Armen, a young man who has lost his wife and daughter to the genocide. He feels sure they are dead but he cannot stop looking for them as many women and children are arriving in Aleppo clearly tortured and abused. Armen joins the British Army in Egypt and he and Elizabeth begin a long correspondence and friendship.

Family Secrets

Present day we meet Laura Petrosian, a writer, researching her family history. Like many family histories there are many skeletons in the closet. As Laura realizes some truths about her grandparents, she is thrust into the past atrocities of Armenia and must find answers.

Beautiful Story of a Difficult Subject

Bohjalian’s talent is showcased in this astute and penetrating story of a difficult subject. I have no doubt most readers of this review are as ignorant of this historical event as I was. Never was this mentioned in any of my history or political science classes I took in high school and college. It’s a horrific event that has been swept under the carpet with political leaders turning a blind eye. Turkey refuses to call it a genocide, despite the fact that most nations, including the United States have acknowledged the brutal actions of the Ottoman Empire. Everyone should read this book and learn. Then you should visit the beautiful country of Armenia.

Be sure to read my travel blog post coming this Friday about my week in Armenia last September.

Thanks for reading my book review The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian. See last week’s book review The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson here.

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