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Book: Alameda Author Pens Haunting Tale of Genocide

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  • Book: Alameda Author Pens Haunting Tale of Genocide

    Alameda Sun, CA
    Sept 25 2014


    Alameda Author Pens Haunting Tale of Genocide

    Fernanda Castro
    Thursday, September 25, 2014

    When the word "genocide" is said or heard, the first event to appear
    in the minds of most people is the Holocaust. Upon first learning
    about it, many have come to know it as the first genocide of the 20th
    century. For many, it may have been a highlighted topic in grade
    school history class. However, few people know of the Armenian
    Genocide. From 1915-1923, Armenian Christians of the Ottoman Empire
    were victims of mass killings, violence and deportations from
    present-day Turkey. This was, in fact, the first genocide of the 20th
    century. It is a piece of global history seldom told that has touched
    the lives of many among us.

    Ellen Sarkisian Chesnut, an Alameda resident since 2006, is one of
    those many deeply affected by the Armenian Genocide. In her newly
    published book, Deli Sarkis: The Scars He Carried, A Daughter
    Confronts the Armenian Genocide and Tells Her Father's Story, Chesnut
    chronicles the experiences of her father as a survivor of the Armenian
    genocide, which took the lives of one and a half million Armenians.
    She tells the story of where life took him after he and many other
    Armenians were removed from their villages in the Ottoman Empire and
    deported to the Syrian and Mesopotamian deserts. His journeys
    afterwards led him to places like Bulgaria and Iraq, Chesnut's
    birthplace. "Years ago, I made a promise to my father that I would
    tell his story. With the publication of this book, I have kept my
    promise to him." Chesnut began writing her book in 2011, though she
    began her journey to fulfill her promise in 1988, researching the
    Armenian genocide with her father and translating Armenian writing on
    the backs of photographs with a language professor at UC Berkeley. Her
    book, designed by Alameda-based graphic designer Valerie Turpen,
    features clusters of photographs that help tell the story and the
    struggles of the Armenian people.

    The book launch of Deli Sarkis: The Scars He Carried, was held Tuesday
    at the Alameda Museum. The museum holds a special place in Chesnut's
    heart; joining the Alameda Museum was one of the first things she did
    upon moving to town. Through her powerful connection with her Armenian
    heritage and the story of her father, Chesnut will bring to light the
    significant piece of global history that is the Armenian genocide. The
    Scars He Carried brings readers a step closer to coming to terms with
    it.


    Fernanda Castro is an Alameda Sun intern.

    http://alamedasun.com/news/alameda-author-pens-haunting-tale-genocide

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