At four o'clock in the afternoon ...": Bones and bodies, we had to walk over them.

by Guleeg Haroian, Rebecca Jinks (Foreword), Eva Hightaian

At Four O'Clock in the Afternoon is the only first-hand account in existence of an adult female who survived both the 1895 Massacres of Armenians by Sultan Abdul Hamid and the 1915 Armenian Genocide. Guleeg Haroian survived the 1915 Genocide through forced marriage to a Muslim. Bones and Bodies, We Had To Walk Over Them is the first-hand account of her daughter, Eva, who was deported in 1915 and survived the Death March through forced transfer as an orphan into a Muslim home. After W.W. I ended, mother and daughter were reunited, and Guleeg Haroian began the hard work of reclaiming orphans and young brides who had undergone forced transfer into Muslim homes.

271 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 7, 2023

Reviews

[Victoria Waterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was not lost on me that this rare collection of Armenian history was written by a family matriarchy of four generations of women. The two oral histories consist of excerpts from recordings made beginning in 1976 with all four generations present. Had this not been a collaborative effort among trusted family members, these stories would join others that will never be told. This level of firsthand accounts is a rarity, and their value cannot be understated…. Highly recommended book for its rare and unique firsthand points of view, especially for readers and researchers interested in the lesser told stories from women that are written in English. Also commend and thank Guleeg and Eva for their selfless bravery, for opening deep wounds and for reliving their nightmares, and Rose and Gil for pushing through their generational trauma to share this invaluable treasure with the world.
Reviewed for The Armenian Weekly.