But unknown to them all, the Muslim Turks wished to rid their country of these despised Christian Armenians and seized their chance when the fires of the Great War screened their activities from the rest of Europe. With terrible swiftness, made all the more chilling by the unemotional tone of the narrator, the Turks commence slaughtering the Armenian population. Dodging those who would kill him on sight, he adapts to the violent landscape while trying to survive, finding some kindness, much brutality and chilling indifference. Events are rarely portrayed in graphic detail, but are horrifying nonetheless because of the understated and restrained delivery. At their best, memoirs like this one show people coping in a crazy world without compromising their essential humanity and retaining a capacity for warmth, love and optimism.
Flames can consume, but they can also strengthen.
Against all odds, Vahan eventually makes his way to Constantinople and freedom. These refugees and their stories still contribute to our ethnic richness and collective memory which, of course, is the best insurance against reliving these horrors. This is highly recommended for mature young adult readers and all adults. Series on PBS with great anticipation. Though you are, for all intents and purposes, a kind and courteous person, the nefarious doings of desperate suspects, and those who pursue them, fascinate you.