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MUST-READ: THE SANDCASTLE GIRLS BY CHRIS BOHJALIAN
SheKnows.com
http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/965195/must-read-the-sandcastle-girls-by-chris-bohjalian
July 10 2012
Love, War And Family History
The Sandcastle Girls, Chris Bohjalian's most personal novel to date,
switches between 1915 Syria and modern-day America to tell the story
of how Elizabeth and Armen found love amid one of the most horrific
events of the 20th century.
In 1915, Elizabeth, a recent college graduate with minimal nursing
skills, accompanied her father on a mission to provide aid to Armenian
refugees in Aleppo, Syria. Nothing in her upper-class Bostonian
upbringing could have prepared her for what she saw when she reached
the Middle East.
Armen, one of the few men to escape the Armenian genocide, was in
Aleppo searching in vain for his wife among the refugees. Conflicted
by what he had to do to save his own life and mourning the loss of
his family, Armen volunteered to join the British forces to help fight
the Turks. But before he left for the battlefield, he met Elizabeth,
and despite their vast differences, a connection was formed.
In The Sandcastle Girls, Chris Bohjalian tells the story of Elizabeth
and Armen's relationship, from the unspeakable horrors they witnessed
in 1915 to their comfortable life in America. In the 21st century,
when their granddaughter Laura learns of a photography exhibit of
the Armenian genocide, she becomes curious about the images and faces
captured on film at the time Elizabeth and Armen met. As Laura searches
for her family's history, she discovers the heartbreaking truth of
the genocide from both a personal and a historical perspective.
Bohjalian takes a multilayered approach in this novel, focusing on
the genocide itself, the people who tried to help, a love story and
the many ways in which the aftereffects of the nightmare trickled
down through the generations.
The Sandcastle Girls is not always an easy story, because Bohjalian
gives us the unvarnished truth of what the Armenians endured (torture,
murder and rape) and what they had to do to survive. We also learn
about the difficulties outsiders had in offering aid and solace and
how ill-equipped many Westerners were to understand what had happened.
In addition, we gain a newfound appreciation for the way that fate
hangs on chance and timing and luck. And through Elizabeth and Armen,
we see that hope and love can arise from devastation, but some
experiences can never - and should never - be forgotten.
Chris Bohjalian's very personal (although fictional) story of Laura
and her search for answers about her grandparents and the truth of
the Armenian genocide is one of his most moving and important novels
to date. The Sandcastle Girls is a don't-miss read of the summer.
SheKnows.com
http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/965195/must-read-the-sandcastle-girls-by-chris-bohjalian
July 10 2012
Love, War And Family History
The Sandcastle Girls, Chris Bohjalian's most personal novel to date,
switches between 1915 Syria and modern-day America to tell the story
of how Elizabeth and Armen found love amid one of the most horrific
events of the 20th century.
In 1915, Elizabeth, a recent college graduate with minimal nursing
skills, accompanied her father on a mission to provide aid to Armenian
refugees in Aleppo, Syria. Nothing in her upper-class Bostonian
upbringing could have prepared her for what she saw when she reached
the Middle East.
Armen, one of the few men to escape the Armenian genocide, was in
Aleppo searching in vain for his wife among the refugees. Conflicted
by what he had to do to save his own life and mourning the loss of
his family, Armen volunteered to join the British forces to help fight
the Turks. But before he left for the battlefield, he met Elizabeth,
and despite their vast differences, a connection was formed.
In The Sandcastle Girls, Chris Bohjalian tells the story of Elizabeth
and Armen's relationship, from the unspeakable horrors they witnessed
in 1915 to their comfortable life in America. In the 21st century,
when their granddaughter Laura learns of a photography exhibit of
the Armenian genocide, she becomes curious about the images and faces
captured on film at the time Elizabeth and Armen met. As Laura searches
for her family's history, she discovers the heartbreaking truth of
the genocide from both a personal and a historical perspective.
Bohjalian takes a multilayered approach in this novel, focusing on
the genocide itself, the people who tried to help, a love story and
the many ways in which the aftereffects of the nightmare trickled
down through the generations.
The Sandcastle Girls is not always an easy story, because Bohjalian
gives us the unvarnished truth of what the Armenians endured (torture,
murder and rape) and what they had to do to survive. We also learn
about the difficulties outsiders had in offering aid and solace and
how ill-equipped many Westerners were to understand what had happened.
In addition, we gain a newfound appreciation for the way that fate
hangs on chance and timing and luck. And through Elizabeth and Armen,
we see that hope and love can arise from devastation, but some
experiences can never - and should never - be forgotten.
Chris Bohjalian's very personal (although fictional) story of Laura
and her search for answers about her grandparents and the truth of
the Armenian genocide is one of his most moving and important novels
to date. The Sandcastle Girls is a don't-miss read of the summer.