LOS ANGELES—The Armenian Genocide novel, Orhan’s Inheritance, by Aline Ohanesian was recently chosen as Amazon’s Best Book of the Month for April 2015, listed alongside works by literary giants like Toni Morrison. Orhan’s Inheritance has also been selected by the independent book-selling community as the #1 Indie Next pick for April and by Barnes & Noble for their Discover Great New Voices program for summer 2015.
Algonquin Books is thrilled by the reception for this debut novel, and especially at how an Armenian Genocide novel will be front and center in every bookstore in the county. National media attention is forthcoming in the New York Times Book Review, Elle, Entertainment Weekly, National Public Radio, and much more.
Ohanesian will be launching her national book tour on April 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Skylight Books in Los Angeles. The general public is welcome to attend. Ohanesian will continue on to 15 additional stops around the country as part of her national book tour.
Ohanesian was a finalist for the prestigious PEN/Bellwether Award for Socially Engaged Fiction founded by Barbara Kingsolver. A descendant of genocide survivors, Ohanesian spent six years researching the novel, and even traveled to the region of the Ottoman Empire, known as Sepastia to Armenians and Sivas to Turks, where the story takes place.
Not only is Orhan’s Inheritance a profoundly moving and beautiful story, but it also gives voice to millions of silent victims and a forgotten part of history. When Orhan Turkoglu’s grandfather passes away, he returns to the village of Karod, Sivas, for the funeral, only to discover that his grandfather left the family home to a total stranger, Seda Melkonian, in a Los Angeles nursing home. Left with only Kemal’s ancient sketchbook and intent on righting this injustice, Orhan boards a plane to Los Angeles. There he will not only unearth the story that Seda so closely guards but discovers that Seda’s past now threatens to unravel his future. Her story, if told, has the power to forever change the way Orhan sees himself, his family, and his country. Moving back and forth in time, between the last years of the Ottoman Empire and the 1990’s, Orhan’s Inheritance is a story of passionate love, unspeakable horrors, incredible resilience, and the hidden stories that can haunt a family for generations.
The book will be published by Algonquin Books, a branch of Workman Publishing, on April 7.
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I’m anxious to read this book as the wife of an Armenian, whose family suffered a similar fate as Orhan’s forebears.
Would love to read this book. I’m in Michigan. Is it on sale here now.
I live in in fresno the grandchild survivor of a herrrific Genocide.look forward to reading the book.
This book is great example how to put together the true story of my grandfather who survived the genocide. As a teenage orphan he survived, settle family in France and returned to Armenia with 12 children that he had in honor of his murdered family. Thanks to Aline for the book. I am looking forward to read the book.
As an Armenian myself, I would like to have a signed copy of this book. I live in Orange County and have no way to go to the book signing in LA.
Thanks,
Lucy
You wouldn’t be related to the Ohanesians of South Gate California would you They babysat me when I was a young girl My mother and Rosie Ohanesian(Cordola) were best friends don’t know if you will read this but I will get your book
To have this book (Armenians), recognized by Amazon on this 100 anniversary of denial is wonderful news!
My great grandmother wrote about her experience taking my grandmother and her siblings out of her homeland, that we recently had translated. In addition to the horror, there is a rich history that will be lost if we do not help keep it alive. Thank you for Orphans Inheretence and for recognizing it.
i just finished this book last night!! Absolutely wonderful!! I couldn’t put it down!! Bravo Ms. Ohanesian!
Look forward to read this book.
My grandfather was Armanag Haigazian and he was one of the millions who died during this genocide. I’m sure all Armenians have similar family memories, so it’s wonderful to have a book about those times.