By Hovsep Melkonian
Nara Ekhsigian is on a momentous journey as important as its proposed destination. A fantasy novel embodying love for the written word came as a result of a simple question: “Did Armenians have a mythology like the Greeks?”
The answer is a resounding yes. Amazon has just published Ekhsigian’s new book, a fantasy novel entitled Tales of the Myths.
This is not Ekhsigian’s first attempt at writing and publishing. A few years ago, she also published Math and Outer Space (2018) which presented the initial steps of a child, literally and figuratively speaking, contemplating the magical universe that surrounds us, eager to share her findings and discoveries with the rest of us.
How did this journey come about?
“I found writing through reading,” says Ekhsigian. “I read a lot of books all my life so it was only natural for me to explore writing. I was inspired by the stories I read.”
Ekhsigian is a high school student attending W. T. Woodson High School in Fairfax, Virginia, where she lives with her parents Raffy and Nathalie Ekhsigian and younger sister Lorie. She will graduate from high school in 2025!
In Tales of the Myths thirteen-year-old April undertakes an adventurous and perilous quest to save her beloved dog Teddy. Teddy was once a dog-god known as Aralez. “Despite his divinity, Teddy is fading away and dying, soon to be turned into a constellation for eternity,” announces the book. We face the dramatic question: “Can April save Teddy and the gods before they are conquered by the ravages of time?”
The fantasy novel has its rules, standards and terms. It is a literary genre that is set in a magical world, involving traditional myths and magical creatures. It borrows ideas or events from the real world, especially from ancient and medieval times, to create its own unique world. Fantasy writing transports readers to fictional realities ranging from primitive lands ruled by dragons to familiar spaces inhabited by superheroes to futuristic visions where aliens vie for supremacy in a strange world. This imaginary world is populated by exotic creatures, characters, societies and environments that flourish as the story develops. While the plot is critical to the story, character building takes center stage. The common themes and features of this genre are built around the struggle of good vs. evil, the heroic (or villainous) quest for power or knowledge, the emergence of an unlikely or reluctant hero, and the clash between the individual and society. While often heroes are not technically humans, the very core of the narrative is about humans. We share in their challenges, rejoice at their victories, grieve with them over their defeats and failures, empathize with their flaws and admire their courage.
Ekhsigian has spent the last three years researching and creating the physical world of her imagination in which she places her characters and heroes.
But what about the Armenian connection?
“I wrote this book because I saw a gap in the market. A lot of fantasy children’s books had mythologies like Greek, Roman, Mayan, Egyptian, Korean, Indian, etc., with characters of those backgrounds, but no Armenian. I decided that I could be the one to introduce Armenian mythology into a fantasy book and write young characters of Armenian heritage. I was inspired by information I’ve come across, documentaries I’ve watched, my friends and family, but no one thing in particular,” Ekhsigian said.
Ekhsigian’s Tales of the Myths is a broad scene of myths where characters of the Armenian pantheon and mythology mix and interact freely with “odar” gods and figures, engage with them in intelligent skirmishes, and often resort to Armenian expressions that add color and verve to the general atmosphere. “My writing involved deciding what story I wanted to read,” Ekhsigian said. “I came across many interesting pieces of information on Armenian history and mythology and chose the ones that I thought would work well with my plot. I did my research through books that my dad had and the Internet.”
In Ekhsigian’s narrative, we see an Armenian family talk and argue and different generations champion their own perspectives. It is a battle of wits with no victors in sight, while the story evolves through them and with them. This is the magical glue that holds the edifice and structure of the novel.
Tales of the Myths constitutes a giant step forward in creative writing for Ekhsigian. Her narrative style, dialogue construction and the processing of observations have evolved and reached a maturity belied by the age of the young author. “I’ve been influenced by a lot of writers but one that stood out to me was Rick Riordan, specifically with his Percy Jackson and the Olympians series,” says Ekhsigian.
Ekhsigian keeps the narrative tight and constantly developing throughout the 250 pages of the book. Her writing is crisp and full of imagery, and the book bristles with observations, thoughts and feelings that hit the reader unexpectedly with their sharp relevance. She has a knack for introducing and weaving unexpected mini-stories into her narrative. At times, they may sound as if she is taking a fanciful side trip, while in fact she is exploring new avenues to keep the story going and enrich its fabric.
“My future writing plan is to write a sequel to Tales of the Myths and see where it takes me. I have many more stories that I want to tell and hope that I can work my way to a point where I can comfortably live off my books,” Ekhsigian said.
Behind the shy smile of a high school student, Ekhsigian is a determined person with a strong mind, will and confidence. All these attributes will serve her in good stead as she tackles future challenges as a writer to achieve her dreams and aspirations.
Guest Contributor
Bravo Nara! Thank you for writing this book!
‘Readers Are Winners’, Nara, and you young lady, are a winner! Your love of reading aroused your curiosity, encouraged you to research your Armenian history, motivated you to use your writing talents, and inspired you to become an author. You’re only a teen-ager, and you have written your first book that has an Armenian ‘connection’.
Congratulations, Nara, you have everything going for you, including your Armenian identity! The sky’s the limit!