historical fiction – Page 5

Armenian Genocide Remembered in Fiction (Part 2)

Every man’s memory is his private literature.- Aldous Huxley

There was a timeliness to selecting a title about the Armenian genocide for a book group I work with. April, 24 2015 was the date selected to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of this horrible period. I suggested Chris Bohjalian’s, The Sandcastle Girls (see post Part 1) or Aline Ohanesian’s, Orhan’s Inheritance. To prepare to lead the conversation, I chose to read them both and came away with a far richer understanding of the multifaceted aspects of this tragedy than I would have if I’d only read one. Whichever you choose, your view of history will be changed.

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Orhan’s Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian (Algonquin Books, 2015)
In 40 words or less: Dialog and detailed descriptions provide personal views of the Armenian genocide and war against the British through the eyes of a young girl and a conscripted Turkish boy whose families long-lived side by side.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Locale: Ottoman Empire, California
Time: 1915-23 and 1990
Read this to gain an understanding of the complexities of life when neighbors were pitted against neighbor. Using her grandmother’s recollections as a starting point for her novel, Ohanesian writes of love, loss, inhumanity and compassion.

Continue reading Armenian Genocide Remembered in Fiction (Part 2)

Armenian Genocide Remembered in Fiction (Part 1)

History is written by the victors. – attributed to Winston Churchill, author unknown

Once I realized that for 100 years a key objective of the government of Turkey has been to hide from the world knowledge of a systematic campaign to rid the Ottoman Empire of its Armenian citizens, I was less embarrassed by my ignorance and far more angry. From 1915 – 1923 between a million and 1.5 million citizens of Armenian descent were systematically forced out of their homes, subjected to death marches, crammed into railway cars, raped, tortured, starved and placed in concentration camps. Sound familiar? While it isn’t clear which nation came up with the techniques, among those aligned with the Turks and serving alongside them throughout WWI were the Germans.

Sometime within the last decade I first realized I knew next to nothing about what is now called the first genocide of the modern era. I’ve been learning, bit by bit, but I didn’t started with history books. An unexpected encounter at a B&B in Harpers Ferry, WV, was the beginning. But it’s Chris Bohjalian’s The Sandcastle Girls and Aline Ohanesian’s Orhan’s Inheritance (see post Part 2) that set me on the path to understanding.

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The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian (Doubleday, 2012)
In 40 words or less: A young woman travels to the Ottoman Republic in 1915 to aid Armenian refugees. Her experiences with all those she meets change the course of her life. Strong historical underpinnings provide critical insights.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Locale: Ottoman Empire, Aleppo, USA
Time: 1915-16 and 2012
Read this if you have limited knowledge of the Armenian genocide at the hands of the Turks from 1915-23. Fans of Bohjalian will be thrilled with the balance between storytelling and history.

Continue reading Armenian Genocide Remembered in Fiction (Part 1)

Culture clash at the breakfast table

In 2011, my husband and I decided to celebrate our February anniversary with a getaway to Harpers Ferry. The big news story at the time was the Arab Spring. As we headed out all eyes were on Cairo’s Tahrir Square and the next steps in Egypt’s revolution. Like many inside the Beltway, I welcomed the chance to dial down the political conversation when DC disappeared from the rearview mirror.

The Jackson Rose is a small B&B, only 3 rooms, close to all the sights – a perfect choice when the weather might be blustery. After a day exploring the park and the hilly streets of Harpers Ferry we headed to Charlestown for dinner. Everything as planned.

The next morning we headed to breakfast and a table set for six. I can’t remember anything about the food but the conversation will stay with me always. As guests at the same dining table, we introduced ourselves. We started with a coincidence. Before leaving town, Dan was a guest on a weekly radio show at WFED. While there he was introduced to a new engineer with WTOP, with which WFED shared studio space. The engineer, a young recent Egyptian immigrant, was there with his wife, a Palestinian staff member at CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations. For both of them the news from Egypt was critically important. Most of his family was still there so there was a mix of concern and excitement. For her, the political and public impression of the Arab Spring and its impact on Arab-Americans was key. So much for leaving the Beltway behind.

The second couple was visiting from Norfolk, VA. Retired, she was a dedicated docent at the art museum. After talking about that for a few minutes she began speaking about her real passion. Her grandmother was a survivor of the genocide of Armenian Christians by the Turks in 1915-16. Her mother was born shortly after her grandmother arrived in the US. Her mission was two-fold: 1) to see a museum in downtown DC dedicated to telling the story, raising awareness of this often forgotten event, and 2) to secure a proclamation from the Congress criticizing the government of Turkey for the genocide and demanding acknowledgement that it did occur. The museum plans stalled and, despite many calls for passage, neither the Congress nor the White House formally criticized Turkey on the 100th anniversary this April.

And then Dan and Ellen. The “small world” conversation made clear what Dan does and I mentioned I facilitated a number of book groups. Any questions about our ethnicity/religion were answered with my responses about the groups and books that I was working with at the time.

At this small table we sat, Muslims, Christians and Jews, talking about the perceptions and misperceptions of our peoples. Talking about lands under contention and governments with mixed motivations. A playwright would have been criticized for writing such a scene. We all looked or sounded our parts. The young Palestinian-American with the hijab, the older Armenian-American with a glistening gold cross and me; each with our matching spouses. We each spoke with passion about our heritages and the importance of respect. I’m certain there were many points of difference in our views, but I see their faces at that table whenever the Armenian genocide or CAIR are mentioned. And I hope they do as well for putting a human face on conflicts can change the way we deal with them.

Yesterday, on the confluence of Yom Kippur and Eid al Adha, the holiest days on the Jewish and Muslim calendars, I completed my second reading of Chris Bohjalian’s The Sandcastle Girls, a novel about the Armenian genocide and those who stood witness. While I will write about the book separately, I’m sure Bohjalian would have loved to be at that accidental gathering. Sometimes it is a book or a serendipitous conversation that brings a new perspective. When we hold on to those experiences we more able to bring the a human face to big international issues.

House of Thieves brings 1880’s New York to life

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House of Thieves by Charles Belfoure (Sourcebooks, September 15, 2015)
In 40 words or less: Belfoure brings to life high society and “these mean streets” in 1886 New York. His architect’s eye details the glitz of the Astors and the grit of street urchins in a story of family, crime and a living, breathing city.
Genre: Historical fiction
Locale: New York and Newport, RI
Time: 1886
Read this if you enjoy vivid historical fiction, an architect’s view of the world and/or are a fan of New York. This is easy read, perfect for a vacation or a rainy weekend at home.

Those who love cities and their histories glory in the opportunity to wander the streets looking at varied buildings that tell stories of many who came before. In New York there is small industry of urban historians providing walking tours on the waves of settlement and the life created. In his second book, House of Thieves, writer and architect Charles Belfoure paints a vivid picture of New York in the mid-1880’s and the tour is included.

John Cross is a well-respected and innovative architect with birthright into the upper echelon of New York society, known collectively as the Knickerbockers. Think Astors, Cabots and the like. He is equally passionate about his family and his profession. It is with pride he celebrates his son’s graduation from Harvard and his dedication to teaching the less fortunate children of newer immigrants living in the tenements of Lower Manhattan. His pride is tempered when approached by James Kent, a man of refinement and connections. Despite appearances, Kent is the head of an underworld gang, Kent’s Gents, who informs Cross that his son’s extraordinary gambling debts can only be erased by Cross using his knowledge to rob the mansions, banks and finer buildings of the city. Kent quickly proves that death is the only alternative to compliance.

Cross keeps his moonlighting from his children but his wife learns his secret. Beyond saving his son’s life, keeping the family from scandal is vital. His daughter is about to make her debut, with all the fashion finery and societal rules that entails. Any hint of impropriety would dash hopes of a good marriage and ruin Cross’ professional connections. All three Cross children find out how the other half lives in New York through escapes from the strictures of their class.

As in his prior novel, The Paris Architect, Belfoure’s eye for detail and storytelling come together well. Those familiar with New York neighborhoods can picture the streets as his characters traverse the City. Aficionados of this heyday of women’s fashion will appreciate the descriptions of the finery and the lavish events. Reading descriptions of the latest building innovations is like taking a mini-course in the evolution of modern architectural techniques.

While at times I found some of the plot twists farfetched, I was happy to ride along all the way to the dedication of the Statue of Liberty, the shining event of 1886 and the climax of the book.

The Marriage of Opposites – A Novel of 19th Century St. Thomas

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The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman (Simon & Schuster, August 2015)
In 40 words or less: The island of St. Thomas was far more than a magical paradise in the early 1800’s. Hoffman’s story of Camille Pissarro’s mother, her strengths, challenges, loves and unfulfilled dreams, are all a prelude to her son becoming an Impressionist great.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Locale: St. Thomas and Paris
Time: 19th Century
Book Group Potential: The history and biographical material are ripe for discussion.

Tomorrow Alice Hoffman’s latest work of historical fiction hits the bookstores. What could be a better setting for The Marriage of Opposites than the magical island of St. Thomas? In the early 1800’s St. Thomas was a flourishing center of commerce for goods being shipped from Europe and Africa to the western hemisphere and back. Much of the merchant class are refugees exiled during the Inquisition. And the earliest settlers of the island believe their people arrived on the island from the moon and continue to have a strong spiritual connection with the natural elements of the island.

Rachel Pomié is a young woman far ahead of her time. She has a strong sense of business, encouraged in her thinking by her father. Disinterested in the ladylike niceties followed by her mother and the other women in the small Jewish community, Rachel spends her free time with the daughter of the family’s housekeeper. She appreciates and understands the customs and stories of the island’s natives.

Marriage in the community is strictly governed, often to enhance business opportunities. And in families with no male heirs these arrangements are of particular important. In order to save her father’s business, Rachel is betrothed to widower with three young children. While not a love match they develop a partnership ended by his death. Rachel and her growing family are then at the mercy of her husband’s young nephew, Frédéric, who comes from France to manage the business inherited by his family. And Rachel finds the true love of her life.

Hoffman is well-known for bringing elements of the magical into her stories. The spirit world enters into the lives of both island natives and those that see themselves above such superstitions. Rachel is not above seeking out local healers to help save the lives of those she loves.

Were The Marriage of Opposites entirely fiction it would be an interesting story. But it’s not. Rachel Pomie Petit Pizzarro and her family really did exist. And as the latter part of the novel shifts to the story of Rachel’s youngest child, Camille, we learn about the life of the boy who Camille Pissarro, one of France’s greatest Impressionist painters. Camille was taken with the colors and sounds of his birthplace though wanted to leave for Paris from a young age. Paris was always his mother’s dream, though never within reach.

Hoffman includes an afterword detailing the factual and fictional elements of the novel. Whether you are attracted to historical fiction in exotic settings, stories of strong women tested by the times or the back stories of well-known people, there will be something for you in The Marriage of Opposites. Certainly, Alice Hoffman fans won’t want to miss it.

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