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Forgotten Fire
A National Book Award Finalist.
In 1915 Vahan Kenderian is living a life of privilege as the youngest son of a wealthy Armenian family in Turkey. This secure world is shattered when some family members are whisked away while others are murdered before his eyes.
Vahan loses his home and family, and is forced to live a life he would never have dreamed of in order to survive. Somehow Vahan’s incredible strength and spirit help him endure, even knowing that each day could be his last.
In 1915 Vahan Kenderian is living a life of privilege as the youngest son of a wealthy Armenian family in Turkey. This secure world is shattered when some family members are whisked away while others are murdered before his eyes.
Vahan loses his home and family, and is forced to live a life he would never have dreamed of in order to survive. Somehow Vahan’s incredible strength and spirit help him endure, even knowing that each day could be his last.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
80 people are currently reading
2271 people want to read
About the author
Adam Bagdasarian
2 books27 followersAdam Bagdasarian is an Armenian American writer for teenagers and young adults. His first novel, Forgotten Fire, became a National Book Award Finalist. His second novel First French Kiss: and other traumas gained as much success as his first one. He resides in New York City.
Son of Ross Bagdasarian creator of Alvin and the Chipmunks and younger brother of Ross Bagdasarian Jr.
I read My Name Is Aram, by William Saroyan, when I was fourteen-years-old. From the first page of the first short story, the book was a revelation. The simplicity of the language, the warmth and humor of the narrator's voice dissolved the usual wall between writer and reader and made me feel a part of the stories I was reading. Before then, many of the books I had to read in school had a soul-deadening formality of the language that was downright exhausting. I knew that there were human beings with human feelings and frailties and conflicts in there somewhere, but I had to hack my way through so much dry language that I hardly cared once I got there. My Name Is Aram, on the other hand, seemed to welcome me right away.
The most important thing about the book was that it made writing (and reading) seem less a rigid intellectual pursuit, than an emotional journey that any man or boy might take into his own heart and spirit. In other words, it helped me discover the kind of writer that I wanted to be-someone who, regardless of the subject matter, made his readers feel as though they had found a good companion.
When I was a little older, my favorite books included The Sun Also Rises, Catcher in the Rye, and The Great Gatsby. But the first and greatest inspiration was My Name Is Aram.
Sincerely,
Adam Bagdasarian
Son of Ross Bagdasarian creator of Alvin and the Chipmunks and younger brother of Ross Bagdasarian Jr.
I read My Name Is Aram, by William Saroyan, when I was fourteen-years-old. From the first page of the first short story, the book was a revelation. The simplicity of the language, the warmth and humor of the narrator's voice dissolved the usual wall between writer and reader and made me feel a part of the stories I was reading. Before then, many of the books I had to read in school had a soul-deadening formality of the language that was downright exhausting. I knew that there were human beings with human feelings and frailties and conflicts in there somewhere, but I had to hack my way through so much dry language that I hardly cared once I got there. My Name Is Aram, on the other hand, seemed to welcome me right away.
The most important thing about the book was that it made writing (and reading) seem less a rigid intellectual pursuit, than an emotional journey that any man or boy might take into his own heart and spirit. In other words, it helped me discover the kind of writer that I wanted to be-someone who, regardless of the subject matter, made his readers feel as though they had found a good companion.
When I was a little older, my favorite books included The Sun Also Rises, Catcher in the Rye, and The Great Gatsby. But the first and greatest inspiration was My Name Is Aram.
Sincerely,
Adam Bagdasarian
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April 24, 2021
President Biden recognizes Armenian genocide:
https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-...
Books have a unique way of stopping time in a particular moment and saying: Let’s not forget this. -Dave Eggers
Last night I finished this book about the Armenian genocide in the early twentieth century, now all but forgotten in the wake of other international genocides that are more recent and more written about. I knew about it, but didn't know details, and still don't in any broad sense, as this book is not about the political and social conditions in which these horrors happened. It's a tale much like many genocide tales, memoirs and novels and graphic novels, as it's the story of a survivor of the genocide, Vahan, the 12-year-old son of a powerful lawyer, one of the most influential families in Turkey at the time.
A child of privilege, bright but spoiled, Vahan has breakfast one morning and soon after loses his fine home and family and life as he knew it. The point of the tale is Egger's point: Let's not forget this. But what is the best way to remember? How many horrific details do we need to know? At what point do we simply stop listening? What degree of hope do we need in such a tale, maybe especially a tale told for an audience of young people? When does that hopefulness undermine the sense of horror?
In this tale we don't get many stats, until the very end, through a summary of "news reports": 3/4 of the Armenian population in Turkey was murdered, a million, perhaps nearly two million, killed; 80,000 Armenians were slaughtered in Dorgor, Arabia alone. In that same region, 7,000 children under 10 died of starvation. Unimaginable stories, not unlike ones we hear about the Holocaust, Rwanda, Cambodia's "killing fields". Unspeakable crimes spoken, and in imaginative tales, where characters "come alive" and graphic details are juxtaposed with almost unbelievable stories of kindness, feats of daring, escape. Part of the canon of genocide, including Deogratias, Tree Girl, Night, and so so many others.
Bagdasarian, an Armenian-American living in NYC, had this story fall in his lap, as detailed tapes recorded by his great uncle, an unlikely 12-year-old survivor, came into his possession. He knew he had to tell the story, keep the memory of his ancestors and his people alive. He had details and a rough sketch, so his only option was to "fill in" the story with descriptions of the region, the families, based in part on family and archival research.
What do we know before we read? That this is a first person "account" novel, and that the kid survives, and that most other Armenians don't. The tale is told in an undramatic, unsensational fashion, almost flatly at times, which for me enhanced the horror somehow: "Seven days after she had given birth she was dead." When describing various horrors, very few adjectives or adverbs, not many similes. Blunt, direct, tight-lipped. This seems right to me. And at the same time, if you are thinking a more capable writer would have swept us into a frenzy of grief of despair, we need screaming, we see also that Bagdasarian can also write lovely and heart-achingly beautiful prose about dreams of his lost mother, and later as he visits a cemetery he writes: "I felt at home among these graves, as though I were standing in the center of my own heart, within the gated perimeter of a longing that would never age, never end, never grow wise." We get a good feeling for Vahan's need to distance himself from the horror he (or anyone) could scarcely comprehend, his need to imagine himself out of situations. What do you do? He (I'll call this a spoiler) lost almost all his family, he witnessed unspeakable atrocities. It's a very, very good book; hard to read at times, but skillful, moving, memorable, as Bagdasarian would hope.
The quote that Bagdasarian uses to frame his novel is related to Egger's quote, actually. "Who does now remember the Armenians?" which is what Adolf Hitler said in 1939 in support of the argument that the world would soon forget the extermination of a people. Remember that!
https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-...
Books have a unique way of stopping time in a particular moment and saying: Let’s not forget this. -Dave Eggers
Last night I finished this book about the Armenian genocide in the early twentieth century, now all but forgotten in the wake of other international genocides that are more recent and more written about. I knew about it, but didn't know details, and still don't in any broad sense, as this book is not about the political and social conditions in which these horrors happened. It's a tale much like many genocide tales, memoirs and novels and graphic novels, as it's the story of a survivor of the genocide, Vahan, the 12-year-old son of a powerful lawyer, one of the most influential families in Turkey at the time.
A child of privilege, bright but spoiled, Vahan has breakfast one morning and soon after loses his fine home and family and life as he knew it. The point of the tale is Egger's point: Let's not forget this. But what is the best way to remember? How many horrific details do we need to know? At what point do we simply stop listening? What degree of hope do we need in such a tale, maybe especially a tale told for an audience of young people? When does that hopefulness undermine the sense of horror?
In this tale we don't get many stats, until the very end, through a summary of "news reports": 3/4 of the Armenian population in Turkey was murdered, a million, perhaps nearly two million, killed; 80,000 Armenians were slaughtered in Dorgor, Arabia alone. In that same region, 7,000 children under 10 died of starvation. Unimaginable stories, not unlike ones we hear about the Holocaust, Rwanda, Cambodia's "killing fields". Unspeakable crimes spoken, and in imaginative tales, where characters "come alive" and graphic details are juxtaposed with almost unbelievable stories of kindness, feats of daring, escape. Part of the canon of genocide, including Deogratias, Tree Girl, Night, and so so many others.
Bagdasarian, an Armenian-American living in NYC, had this story fall in his lap, as detailed tapes recorded by his great uncle, an unlikely 12-year-old survivor, came into his possession. He knew he had to tell the story, keep the memory of his ancestors and his people alive. He had details and a rough sketch, so his only option was to "fill in" the story with descriptions of the region, the families, based in part on family and archival research.
What do we know before we read? That this is a first person "account" novel, and that the kid survives, and that most other Armenians don't. The tale is told in an undramatic, unsensational fashion, almost flatly at times, which for me enhanced the horror somehow: "Seven days after she had given birth she was dead." When describing various horrors, very few adjectives or adverbs, not many similes. Blunt, direct, tight-lipped. This seems right to me. And at the same time, if you are thinking a more capable writer would have swept us into a frenzy of grief of despair, we need screaming, we see also that Bagdasarian can also write lovely and heart-achingly beautiful prose about dreams of his lost mother, and later as he visits a cemetery he writes: "I felt at home among these graves, as though I were standing in the center of my own heart, within the gated perimeter of a longing that would never age, never end, never grow wise." We get a good feeling for Vahan's need to distance himself from the horror he (or anyone) could scarcely comprehend, his need to imagine himself out of situations. What do you do? He (I'll call this a spoiler) lost almost all his family, he witnessed unspeakable atrocities. It's a very, very good book; hard to read at times, but skillful, moving, memorable, as Bagdasarian would hope.
The quote that Bagdasarian uses to frame his novel is related to Egger's quote, actually. "Who does now remember the Armenians?" which is what Adolf Hitler said in 1939 in support of the argument that the world would soon forget the extermination of a people. Remember that!
May 27, 2011
To all those people who missed out learning about the Armenian genocide in school because of the US's trade with Turkey, this is for you. Educate yourself. The story is about a family that is torn apart as the killing begins; you are thrust in the midst of one of the most forgotten and gruesome genocides in history. The writing is engaging enough to keep you reading as you follow the survival of the boy Vahan through the pages. Though it is rather gory this book is easily one of the best historical fictions I have ever read.
March 11, 2010
This book is incredibly powerful. It deals with a forgotten period in history-- the Armenian genocide of the WWI era-- so it's already set itself apart. The writing is beautiful and appropriate for the subject matter. The main character, Vahan, is also a compelling one, as he is both terrified and determined.
Summary: Vahan and his family all live in the Armenian village of Burtis, and seem to live something of an idyllic life. Soon, however, his family members start disappearing, marking the start of the Armenian genocide by Turkish forces. Soon, Vahan must make his way to Constantinople and safety or else be caught up in the genocide. The success of his arduous journey will depend on the kindness of the strangers he meets along the way.
Main characters:
Vahan: He's really the only character who appears in the majority of the book, although the supporting cast is what enables him to make the journey in the first place. He is surprisingly determined and courageous. While the death of his family members has had an obvious impact of them, his ability to compartmentalize his feelings becomes both impressive and essential.
Key issues: genocide, Armenians, Turkey, the geography of southeastern Europe
Other interesting information: This is the only book I've read that deals with the Armenian genocide. The United States recently passed a resolution recognizing Turkey's involvement with the genocide. If you enjoyed this book (if this book can be said to be enjoyed) and haven't had your fill of utter desolation, depression and human atrocity, try out Elie Wiezel's Night.
Summary: Vahan and his family all live in the Armenian village of Burtis, and seem to live something of an idyllic life. Soon, however, his family members start disappearing, marking the start of the Armenian genocide by Turkish forces. Soon, Vahan must make his way to Constantinople and safety or else be caught up in the genocide. The success of his arduous journey will depend on the kindness of the strangers he meets along the way.
Main characters:
Vahan: He's really the only character who appears in the majority of the book, although the supporting cast is what enables him to make the journey in the first place. He is surprisingly determined and courageous. While the death of his family members has had an obvious impact of them, his ability to compartmentalize his feelings becomes both impressive and essential.
Key issues: genocide, Armenians, Turkey, the geography of southeastern Europe
Other interesting information: This is the only book I've read that deals with the Armenian genocide. The United States recently passed a resolution recognizing Turkey's involvement with the genocide. If you enjoyed this book (if this book can be said to be enjoyed) and haven't had your fill of utter desolation, depression and human atrocity, try out Elie Wiezel's Night.
June 10, 2008
An illuminating look at the Armenian genocide, which we don't remember often enough.
January 19, 2022
As an Armenian, I think I've been looking for a book like this for a while. Something that I could immerse myself in as if I was there. My great-grandparents survived this. I am alive because they managed to stay alive when mass murder held a gun in their faces. Their parents died whilst mine got to live in a comfortable home in a bed because of their sheer luck and determination.
This novel pulled my head into the river of rotting bodies and told me to drink. And I did. I wept as I read. The disgust that filled my head was blurring my vision and making me dizzy. Every line was another grimace, but it wasn't something that was going to make me stop reading the book. Adam Bagdasarian perfectly covered most of what happened in the Armenian Genocide without being overwhelmingly traumatic and gory to the point where it's unreadable, but he didn't sugarcoat a single detail.
I appreciated his storytelling and writing a lot and it was something that I would recommend to people in my life (and I already have). Not only is it good writing but it's historical fiction from which you can also learn. I'm not a fan of historical fiction usually, it's usually a drag and I already learned the topic enough to where I wouldn't read a fictional novel about it. I know almost everything there is to know about the Armenian Genocide, and I wanted to read this book since I'm half Armenian. I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did and it was a happy surprise.
This novel pulled my head into the river of rotting bodies and told me to drink. And I did. I wept as I read. The disgust that filled my head was blurring my vision and making me dizzy. Every line was another grimace, but it wasn't something that was going to make me stop reading the book. Adam Bagdasarian perfectly covered most of what happened in the Armenian Genocide without being overwhelmingly traumatic and gory to the point where it's unreadable, but he didn't sugarcoat a single detail.
I appreciated his storytelling and writing a lot and it was something that I would recommend to people in my life (and I already have). Not only is it good writing but it's historical fiction from which you can also learn. I'm not a fan of historical fiction usually, it's usually a drag and I already learned the topic enough to where I wouldn't read a fictional novel about it. I know almost everything there is to know about the Armenian Genocide, and I wanted to read this book since I'm half Armenian. I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did and it was a happy surprise.
April 19, 2018
I’m not sure why but based on the cover I assumed that this book was going to be just another YA novel that glosses over the tragedy of genocide. However, it was not. What a heart wrenching portrayal of a moment in history that is often forgotten or overlooked. Truthfully, I didn’t know much about the Armenian genocide before reading this book, so I’m really glad that I had the opportunity to do so. This was an excellent novel. Highly recommend.
May 12, 2021
Absolutely fantastically written. It is somehow considered to be a youth-book but I do not agree in any sense. It's written in a very powerful language which in combination of this horrible, internationally nearly forgotten, genocide, gives a lasting impression. Definitely on the level of Werfel's Musa Dagh which was written for the Germans in the early 1930's to show the them what a coming genocide meant.
I got deeply impressed by the writing and storytelling of this author!
I got deeply impressed by the writing and storytelling of this author!
June 28, 2012
I read this book some months ago, and i can't stop thinking about it. It's a book about a very tough subject, genocide.
This book tells the story of a kid and his journey during the Armenian genocide that occurred in Turkey approximately in 1915, if I'm not mistaken. He came from a good and established family, his father worked for the Turkish government, they thought that because of this, they could have special privileges and not suffer through everything that was about to happen, but no. As Armenians their fate was the same.
It was a nightmare, a terrible, terrible nightmare that happened. I just can't take some of the scenes off my head, even now... perhaps I, for personal reasons, am too sensitive, maybe you people hard-core, extreme-goring, sadistic, tragic readers, could say this is very light, and don't understand why I say these things about this book. But I'm truly shocked.
I have the images in my head, the hopelessness, the sadness. And it's just so horrible to think that situations like this actually happen, just because some people don't stand a different race, or skin color, or way of thinking, or even for money... This is just so unbearable.
I feel very uneasy with this matter, I'd say i feel more shocked with this because I am or was living, around this kind of nightmare on a regular basis. I lived in Juarez, Mexico, my whole life, and then all these horrible murders started to happen everyday, and they happened even to innocent people. For people who don't know, there's been going on a war between the Mexican army and the drug dealers supposedly to make the country a "secure" place to live... Now Juarez is like the most dangerous city in the world. And with all the economic issues, unemployment, you can start to imagine the social problems there are. Once there was a massacre of students who were at a party, and many other terrible things. I don't really watch the news to find out, for mental health. I pray to God for this situation to change.
That's the most powerful reason why this book was so hard for me, because i just couldn't stop relating the events in there with the events occurring in Juarez. And it all makes me shudder and makes me want to cry. I don't think I will read a book about these subjects again, or at least not a book so "graphic", like this one.
Probably this event of the Armenian genocide doesn't sound familiar to you. It is because, not many people know about it, and don't talk about it like with the Jews' genocide in the Nazi Germany for example. And it has become gradually an event that's been "forgotten" in a certain way. Hence the title "Forgotten Fire".
This book tells the story of a kid and his journey during the Armenian genocide that occurred in Turkey approximately in 1915, if I'm not mistaken. He came from a good and established family, his father worked for the Turkish government, they thought that because of this, they could have special privileges and not suffer through everything that was about to happen, but no. As Armenians their fate was the same.
It was a nightmare, a terrible, terrible nightmare that happened. I just can't take some of the scenes off my head, even now... perhaps I, for personal reasons, am too sensitive, maybe you people hard-core, extreme-goring, sadistic, tragic readers, could say this is very light, and don't understand why I say these things about this book. But I'm truly shocked.
I have the images in my head, the hopelessness, the sadness. And it's just so horrible to think that situations like this actually happen, just because some people don't stand a different race, or skin color, or way of thinking, or even for money... This is just so unbearable.
I feel very uneasy with this matter, I'd say i feel more shocked with this because I am or was living, around this kind of nightmare on a regular basis. I lived in Juarez, Mexico, my whole life, and then all these horrible murders started to happen everyday, and they happened even to innocent people. For people who don't know, there's been going on a war between the Mexican army and the drug dealers supposedly to make the country a "secure" place to live... Now Juarez is like the most dangerous city in the world. And with all the economic issues, unemployment, you can start to imagine the social problems there are. Once there was a massacre of students who were at a party, and many other terrible things. I don't really watch the news to find out, for mental health. I pray to God for this situation to change.
That's the most powerful reason why this book was so hard for me, because i just couldn't stop relating the events in there with the events occurring in Juarez. And it all makes me shudder and makes me want to cry. I don't think I will read a book about these subjects again, or at least not a book so "graphic", like this one.
Probably this event of the Armenian genocide doesn't sound familiar to you. It is because, not many people know about it, and don't talk about it like with the Jews' genocide in the Nazi Germany for example. And it has become gradually an event that's been "forgotten" in a certain way. Hence the title "Forgotten Fire".
January 3, 2024
Easy read, well written and very compelling. A sad book made even more sad by the fact that it's true. Armenia and the atrocities the Muslim Turks committed there does not get enough attention.
May 2, 2017
Excellent book on the Armenian genocide in Turkey during World War I. Pair this with David Kherdian's The Road From Home.
March 6, 2021
The story of Vahan Kendarian, an upper class Armenian kid in 1915. As you might imagine, he has a bad time. Throughout the narrative, its impossible to forget the epitaph Bagdasarian begins his story with, a quote by Adolph Hitler:
“Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?”
So, as you read it, just imagine spitting into his face with every line.
The story itself is beautifully written. Through all the misery and violence, I followed out of love and concern for the protagonist, not a feeling that it is somehow my dutiful chore to suffer knowing what happened. Maybe it is, maybe we inherit that responsibility, especially as archaeologists of the modern era, to know what we can about atrocities otherwise forgotten, or intentionally overwritten. But that need not be why you read it. It is insightful and gripping enough to be read as fantasy, and it is technically fiction, though to call it that feels like a disservice to the author and his family’s experiences.
Bagdasarian wrote the book inspired both by the voice recordings of his great uncle, and the unique story of the Kendarians. There is a dignity in the story I imagine comes from that background. When an unexpected tragedy takes place, even when humiliating to the victim, it feels respectful and dignified, no matter the circumstances. Even when that seems like it should be impossible, he manages. It is not a comedy, but it is not all horror and cruelty. Some of the sweetest moments are the ones that have stayed with me, and certain encouraging words Vahan hears, I find myself reflecting on now that I’ve finished.
“Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?”
So, as you read it, just imagine spitting into his face with every line.
The story itself is beautifully written. Through all the misery and violence, I followed out of love and concern for the protagonist, not a feeling that it is somehow my dutiful chore to suffer knowing what happened. Maybe it is, maybe we inherit that responsibility, especially as archaeologists of the modern era, to know what we can about atrocities otherwise forgotten, or intentionally overwritten. But that need not be why you read it. It is insightful and gripping enough to be read as fantasy, and it is technically fiction, though to call it that feels like a disservice to the author and his family’s experiences.
Bagdasarian wrote the book inspired both by the voice recordings of his great uncle, and the unique story of the Kendarians. There is a dignity in the story I imagine comes from that background. When an unexpected tragedy takes place, even when humiliating to the victim, it feels respectful and dignified, no matter the circumstances. Even when that seems like it should be impossible, he manages. It is not a comedy, but it is not all horror and cruelty. Some of the sweetest moments are the ones that have stayed with me, and certain encouraging words Vahan hears, I find myself reflecting on now that I’ve finished.
July 15, 2025
If it was a movie, I would rate it R. I want to warn readers that this is not a Scholastic book for children. Why might you think it was one? Well, it is a paperback with a dark colored cover, with a horizontal red line across it, and a photo of a child, and a silver medal. All those things could show up on your typical Scholastic book cover, but this is definitely more for adults due to content.
I wouldn't read this book again, but I gave it two stars instead of one for the poetical imagery. The subject is the Armenian genocide. It is fiction because it is written in the first person, but the author is actually the great-nephew of the man whose life is being described. The author had a first person account to work with, but he put himself in his great-uncle's place.
The tone is bitter. It doesn't quite work, because although the events described are certainly horrific enough to warrant bitterness, it is an old person's point of view. The author is an old person who looks back at a relative's account, and says 'wow that was awful' and philosophizes about it, that doesn't match up with 'I am twelve years old.' It is just heavy with philosophy that a child could not come up with. We are told in the end, in "A Conversation with . . ." that the main character did not grow up to be a bitter person and had a good life.
Map on page two is missing the Mediterranean Sea; incorrect.
I wouldn't read this book again, but I gave it two stars instead of one for the poetical imagery. The subject is the Armenian genocide. It is fiction because it is written in the first person, but the author is actually the great-nephew of the man whose life is being described. The author had a first person account to work with, but he put himself in his great-uncle's place.
The tone is bitter. It doesn't quite work, because although the events described are certainly horrific enough to warrant bitterness, it is an old person's point of view. The author is an old person who looks back at a relative's account, and says 'wow that was awful' and philosophizes about it, that doesn't match up with 'I am twelve years old.' It is just heavy with philosophy that a child could not come up with. We are told in the end, in "A Conversation with . . ." that the main character did not grow up to be a bitter person and had a good life.
Map on page two is missing the Mediterranean Sea; incorrect.
August 10, 2020
Forgotten Fire is based on the real-life experiences of Vahan Kendarian, whose life was impacted and momentously changed by the Armenian genocide promulgated by Turkey against its 2,000,000 Armenian citizens in the early 20th century. I've had Armenian friends who would always bring up the genocide but then would not really TALK about it (which I now understand), so I knew it had occurred, but didn't really know of the extent of the horrors. Forgotten Fire may be a book that is difficult for some to read, because it does deal with the atrocities committed and the hardships faced by those who survived, but I couldn't put it down. Personally, I think it is a must read for anyone ignorant of what the Armenians have endured, and it is a lesson as well as a warning of what could easily occur again in any country that is authoritarian and based on religious superiority. It also brings to mind what can happen in countries controlled by xenophobic leaders and a xenophobic populace and how we, as Americans, treat people seeking refugee from corrupt and despotic governments that our government has put in place in third-world countries and supports at the behest of multi-national corporations seeking to expropriate natural resources.
December 6, 2020
Every part of this story was my story, the story of all Armenians.
Point blank: my family survived a holocaust, a genocide. And today, we are still surviving, carrying the weight of intergenerational trauma.
Vahan is our main character. In Armenian, his name means "shield", and in many ways I saw how he was a shield of strength for all Indigenous Armenians. This book starts out with someone metaphorically putting out a large fire with a bucket of water with the worst atrocities a human being could commit. But what people don't know is that the climate is dry and that with enough steel, the fire will spark again.
Although I felt the second half of the book was lacking some oomph, I still appreciated Vahan's journey. And this book is the spark of hope - amid all the horrors we may face, it is a comfort to know there is always one person who is good, genuine, kind, human. I wish there were more books like this.
January 15, 2025
I had to read this for an English class and it was enrapturing (is that a word). I don't want to write a short snippet review because this book deserves more than that. But at the same time we are laboring over it in English class, so I guess you will have to join ENGL307 if you want my full review. But if you haven't heard of the Armenian genocide or you have heard the word genocide but can define it, read this book. It is not a difficult read, in terms of how it was written, but it is difficult in terms of the events that occur. It is a novel but is based off of the authors great-uncle. You should read.
November 13, 2023
I appreciated this book because it helped me to learn about the Armenian genocide. It was difficult to read at times but helped me to consider the perspective of people who lived through this time period.
October 31, 2024
Cried multiple times but couldnt put it down. Great insight into some of the details of the Armenian Genocide so its a good story to pick up if you’re unfamiliar with the subject and interested in learning more
February 16, 2024
Was surprisingly good and I cried 😪
Read
March 24, 2025incredibly moving and powerful, one of the best books ive ever read
March 4, 2020
In 1915 Vahan Kenderian was living a wealthy life in Turkey. His world full of privileges came crumbling down when his family is torn apart by the Turkish soldiers. In a short moment, Vahan loses his family one by one and even buries his own family in his backyard. But with the courage he has gotten from his father, you will undertake how Vahan survived during the Armenian genocide.
Vahan deals a lot with being alone. He has often found a home to stay at for a few weeks, but then must leave as the family gets worried about being caught with an Armenian. “The problem with loneliness is that, unlike other forms of human suffering, it teaches us nothing, leads us nowhere, and generally devalues us in our own eyes and the eyes of others” (Bagdasarian, pg. 130, 2000). As the story progresses further, Vahan tries to stay with the consulate that his father knew. He then starts to realize that him being overly kind was just a mask to cover up who he truly was. “Only later did I realize how inhuman a well-dressed, well-spoken, charming man could be” (Bagdasarian, pg. 125, 2000).
Another theme behind this book is not to get too attached to what you have because in a blink of an eye, it could be gone. For example, Vahan lived a in privileged household who had everything he wanted. Once the Turkish soldiers came, his life turned around and he never saw his family again. Once Vahan is officially on his own he meets a girl in the consulates’ household. She stays out in the horses stable alongside Vhan. Vahan became very attached her because she was a girl and he had a friend in this lonely world. Every night the soldiers would come out and rape her. But one night, when vahan touched her face, he realized she was gone. “I leaned close to her and touched her face. Two soldiers carried her body out of the stable” (Bagdasarian, pg 137, 2000). Later in the book, Vahan meets another girl named Seta. She lives with a different consulate and Vahan also has different parents. Once Vahan sees this girl, he knows he wants to be with her. She gets pregnant by the consulate himself, and seven days after she gave birth, she was pronounced dead. “Seven days after she had given birth, she was dead” (Bagdasarian, pg. 230, 2000).
The plot of this story is based around the Armenian Genocide that started on April 24, 1915 to 1923. Vahans’ experience is to touch you deep within on how horrible his life was once the genocide took place. Vahan takes you on a world of surprises and roller coasters through out his life as a young boy. You get to understand how survival of the fittest takes on a whole other meaning when you’re completely alone with a surrounding world of murder.
This book will give you the thrill and earth-shattering experience as you’re reading this book. If you’re someone who likes to read about wars and how someone survived during it, then this book is exactly for you. Not only will you really love this book, you will see how easy life is now then it was back in 1917.
Vahan deals a lot with being alone. He has often found a home to stay at for a few weeks, but then must leave as the family gets worried about being caught with an Armenian. “The problem with loneliness is that, unlike other forms of human suffering, it teaches us nothing, leads us nowhere, and generally devalues us in our own eyes and the eyes of others” (Bagdasarian, pg. 130, 2000). As the story progresses further, Vahan tries to stay with the consulate that his father knew. He then starts to realize that him being overly kind was just a mask to cover up who he truly was. “Only later did I realize how inhuman a well-dressed, well-spoken, charming man could be” (Bagdasarian, pg. 125, 2000).
Another theme behind this book is not to get too attached to what you have because in a blink of an eye, it could be gone. For example, Vahan lived a in privileged household who had everything he wanted. Once the Turkish soldiers came, his life turned around and he never saw his family again. Once Vahan is officially on his own he meets a girl in the consulates’ household. She stays out in the horses stable alongside Vhan. Vahan became very attached her because she was a girl and he had a friend in this lonely world. Every night the soldiers would come out and rape her. But one night, when vahan touched her face, he realized she was gone. “I leaned close to her and touched her face. Two soldiers carried her body out of the stable” (Bagdasarian, pg 137, 2000). Later in the book, Vahan meets another girl named Seta. She lives with a different consulate and Vahan also has different parents. Once Vahan sees this girl, he knows he wants to be with her. She gets pregnant by the consulate himself, and seven days after she gave birth, she was pronounced dead. “Seven days after she had given birth, she was dead” (Bagdasarian, pg. 230, 2000).
The plot of this story is based around the Armenian Genocide that started on April 24, 1915 to 1923. Vahans’ experience is to touch you deep within on how horrible his life was once the genocide took place. Vahan takes you on a world of surprises and roller coasters through out his life as a young boy. You get to understand how survival of the fittest takes on a whole other meaning when you’re completely alone with a surrounding world of murder.
This book will give you the thrill and earth-shattering experience as you’re reading this book. If you’re someone who likes to read about wars and how someone survived during it, then this book is exactly for you. Not only will you really love this book, you will see how easy life is now then it was back in 1917.
February 17, 2017
Forgotten Fire Review
Joseph Wehmeyer, 1/31/17, Pd.8, It's Alive
Author: Adam Bagdasarian, 271 pages published in 2000, genre: historical fiction
Vahan Kenderian is a 12 year old boy living in Bitlis, Armenia right before WWI. In the book Forgotten Fire by Adam Bagdasarian, tells the story or Vahan’s struggle to survive during the Armenian genocide in WWI. In the hands of the Ottoman Empire, the Turkish feared that the Armenians were a threat to the government’s security and that their suffering may alert other countries in Europe to take action. Thus, the Turkish (who were in rule), sent out gendarmes (soldiers) to exterminate all the Armenians in Ottoman controlled areas. Vahan lived a good life, his father was a rich business man that was able to provide them food, water and a very nice house to live in for his large family. However, everything changed when the Turkish arrived in Bitlis. The gendarmes took away Vahan’s father on ‘business,’ his father never returned. The Turkish returned soon after, and executed the older boys and men of his family in their backyard.
Now it was just Vahan, his brother Sisak, sisters Armenhoui and Oskina, mother and grandmother. The gendarmes killed all the men of the town and left the women and children, who they eventually escorted to a new location to live. In an old prison, –rotted with dead bodies, people suffering, and soldiers doing awful things to the people there– Vahan and his family suffer with no food or water and begin to become malnourished. They are continually transported and are marching from location to location directed by the Turkish. With his family members beginning to dwindle one by one, Vahan and Sisak escape one night and are of on their own to another town to just try and survive. The end location goal is Constantinople, where safety is provided from Armenian refugees, but that journey is long and far awaiting Vahan. Throughout the book, Vahan’s life changes, each day bringing a new challenge and having to adjust every step of his journey just wondering if he can live on one more day without being killed or dying from suffering.
I would give this book a rating of 4, the reason why is that it is a great book, but it’s just such a depressing book. For some, the emotions given off in the book may make it even better, but I for one am not a big fan of sadder books. It doesn’t make the book any less of an astounding book, it makes one really realize how precious life is and should make one grateful to not have to experience the times that Vahan had to endure. I would recommend this book to anyone who would be committed to reading such a saddening story and be able to finish it out through the ending. The ending may make it all worthwhile.
Joseph Wehmeyer, 1/31/17, Pd.8, It's Alive
Author: Adam Bagdasarian, 271 pages published in 2000, genre: historical fiction
Vahan Kenderian is a 12 year old boy living in Bitlis, Armenia right before WWI. In the book Forgotten Fire by Adam Bagdasarian, tells the story or Vahan’s struggle to survive during the Armenian genocide in WWI. In the hands of the Ottoman Empire, the Turkish feared that the Armenians were a threat to the government’s security and that their suffering may alert other countries in Europe to take action. Thus, the Turkish (who were in rule), sent out gendarmes (soldiers) to exterminate all the Armenians in Ottoman controlled areas. Vahan lived a good life, his father was a rich business man that was able to provide them food, water and a very nice house to live in for his large family. However, everything changed when the Turkish arrived in Bitlis. The gendarmes took away Vahan’s father on ‘business,’ his father never returned. The Turkish returned soon after, and executed the older boys and men of his family in their backyard.
Now it was just Vahan, his brother Sisak, sisters Armenhoui and Oskina, mother and grandmother. The gendarmes killed all the men of the town and left the women and children, who they eventually escorted to a new location to live. In an old prison, –rotted with dead bodies, people suffering, and soldiers doing awful things to the people there– Vahan and his family suffer with no food or water and begin to become malnourished. They are continually transported and are marching from location to location directed by the Turkish. With his family members beginning to dwindle one by one, Vahan and Sisak escape one night and are of on their own to another town to just try and survive. The end location goal is Constantinople, where safety is provided from Armenian refugees, but that journey is long and far awaiting Vahan. Throughout the book, Vahan’s life changes, each day bringing a new challenge and having to adjust every step of his journey just wondering if he can live on one more day without being killed or dying from suffering.
I would give this book a rating of 4, the reason why is that it is a great book, but it’s just such a depressing book. For some, the emotions given off in the book may make it even better, but I for one am not a big fan of sadder books. It doesn’t make the book any less of an astounding book, it makes one really realize how precious life is and should make one grateful to not have to experience the times that Vahan had to endure. I would recommend this book to anyone who would be committed to reading such a saddening story and be able to finish it out through the ending. The ending may make it all worthwhile.
February 28, 2010
Forgotten Fire by Adam Bagdasarian
This is one of the best books that I have read in a long time, simply because it is so well told and true to life. It is hard to think that the terrible actions in this book really took place, but the triumph of the main character over his circumstances is a hope to us all.
Major Characters:
Vahan Kenderian: A young (twelve years old when the book begins) upper-middle class Armenian boy who is thrust into a world he doesn’t recognize or understand when the Turks who rule the land attempt to destroy all Armenians, and ally with Germany during World War I.
His family: Father, Mother, Grandmother, sisters Armenouhi and Oskina, brothers Sisak, Tavel and Diran, and his Uncle Mumpreh; who all suffer during the holocaust and deal with things as they can.
His boyhood friend Pattoo and his mother: They hide Vahan as long as they are able to, and Mrs. Altoonian secures the protection of a powerful man to help Vahan.
Selim Bey: A powerful Turk, he is known as “the butcher of Armenians” among other things, and protects Vahan because of the friendship he had for Vahan’s father.
Ara Sarkisian: An old man who, because he is old, and a coppersmith, is allowed to live even though he is an Armenian. He helps Vahan to hide, and gets him to an orphanage where he’ll be safe.
Serop: A young, crippled, Armenian boy who lives with Ara Sakisian.
Dr. Tashain and his wife: A friendly family that takes Vahan in. In exchange for some help with chores on his part, they treat Vahan almost as a son.
Reshid, Kiazim, Aziz and Ahmet: Turkish refugees, who, believing that Vahan is deaf and mute, take him into their new lives and teach him the skill of shepherding.
Mustafa: A member of the Turkish refugees who does not think that Vahan is a deaf/mute, and who believes him to be an Armenian.
Shirin: a young, lovely girl about Vahan’s age, and unfortunately Mustafa’s daughter.
Seta: a beautiful girl about Vahan’s age, she lives at the German Consulate (which used to be the Tashian’s home) when Vahan is part of the Dr.’s household.
Key issues: Armenian holocaust, personal strength, overcoming obstacles, growing up, beating the odds, history.
If you like this book, you’ll also like Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl.
This is one of the best books that I have read in a long time, simply because it is so well told and true to life. It is hard to think that the terrible actions in this book really took place, but the triumph of the main character over his circumstances is a hope to us all.
Major Characters:
Vahan Kenderian: A young (twelve years old when the book begins) upper-middle class Armenian boy who is thrust into a world he doesn’t recognize or understand when the Turks who rule the land attempt to destroy all Armenians, and ally with Germany during World War I.
His family: Father, Mother, Grandmother, sisters Armenouhi and Oskina, brothers Sisak, Tavel and Diran, and his Uncle Mumpreh; who all suffer during the holocaust and deal with things as they can.
His boyhood friend Pattoo and his mother: They hide Vahan as long as they are able to, and Mrs. Altoonian secures the protection of a powerful man to help Vahan.
Selim Bey: A powerful Turk, he is known as “the butcher of Armenians” among other things, and protects Vahan because of the friendship he had for Vahan’s father.
Ara Sarkisian: An old man who, because he is old, and a coppersmith, is allowed to live even though he is an Armenian. He helps Vahan to hide, and gets him to an orphanage where he’ll be safe.
Serop: A young, crippled, Armenian boy who lives with Ara Sakisian.
Dr. Tashain and his wife: A friendly family that takes Vahan in. In exchange for some help with chores on his part, they treat Vahan almost as a son.
Reshid, Kiazim, Aziz and Ahmet: Turkish refugees, who, believing that Vahan is deaf and mute, take him into their new lives and teach him the skill of shepherding.
Mustafa: A member of the Turkish refugees who does not think that Vahan is a deaf/mute, and who believes him to be an Armenian.
Shirin: a young, lovely girl about Vahan’s age, and unfortunately Mustafa’s daughter.
Seta: a beautiful girl about Vahan’s age, she lives at the German Consulate (which used to be the Tashian’s home) when Vahan is part of the Dr.’s household.
Key issues: Armenian holocaust, personal strength, overcoming obstacles, growing up, beating the odds, history.
If you like this book, you’ll also like Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl.
July 31, 2013
The story is brutal; the first fifty or one hundred pages walk the reader through bodies like detritus. Parents taken, killed, siblings shot and buried in gardens, suicide by poison, death by disease. Walking through the streets in escape, attempting a passive face while stepping through the massacre.
For me, the connotation of the word "family" has changed in the past several years, and this is the lens through which I read literature. When a decade ago, I could have read this passively, as an account of history, something to be taught as a lesson, I now read as a person who thinks of circumstance, of participation, of there-but-by-the-grace-of-god.
Bagdasarian minces no words and creates no lens through which we could read this young adult / teen novel: this happened, then this, then this. In some ways, it's a perfect example of the journey narrative. The protagonist stops in various locations, and by luck or by clever choice, he survives. (We know that he has to, if we read the jacket copy, as the story is based on a great-uncle--there has to be family left to tell the tale.)
I found myself wanting something more, craft-wise. But what I would have done as a writer (I consider the idea of magical realism, or some trope to bring us to the imagination in order to survive experience) would have made this a different book, a different project. Bagdasarian seems to have wanted to simply retell an against-all-odds story, which consists of a great deal of: "OK, so is this where he is going to settle down and survive? Is this where he reconnects with humanity? Oh, no: another character or characters is taken away from him, often in (quiet) brutal ways." At what point does the reader become numb? At what point does the reader give up hope that something will work out, that he will be a part of a family again? I don't think I ever did--become numb or lose hope for this protagonist--and that's because the author doesn't let us. This happened, but let's not linger, let's move to the next thing and see where it comes out.
For me, the connotation of the word "family" has changed in the past several years, and this is the lens through which I read literature. When a decade ago, I could have read this passively, as an account of history, something to be taught as a lesson, I now read as a person who thinks of circumstance, of participation, of there-but-by-the-grace-of-god.
Bagdasarian minces no words and creates no lens through which we could read this young adult / teen novel: this happened, then this, then this. In some ways, it's a perfect example of the journey narrative. The protagonist stops in various locations, and by luck or by clever choice, he survives. (We know that he has to, if we read the jacket copy, as the story is based on a great-uncle--there has to be family left to tell the tale.)
I found myself wanting something more, craft-wise. But what I would have done as a writer (I consider the idea of magical realism, or some trope to bring us to the imagination in order to survive experience) would have made this a different book, a different project. Bagdasarian seems to have wanted to simply retell an against-all-odds story, which consists of a great deal of: "OK, so is this where he is going to settle down and survive? Is this where he reconnects with humanity? Oh, no: another character or characters is taken away from him, often in (quiet) brutal ways." At what point does the reader become numb? At what point does the reader give up hope that something will work out, that he will be a part of a family again? I don't think I ever did--become numb or lose hope for this protagonist--and that's because the author doesn't let us. This happened, but let's not linger, let's move to the next thing and see where it comes out.
February 21, 2010
I thought this book was extremely well written. I loved that the book was written by the main character, Vahan Kenderian’s great nephew. My favorite type of books is nonfiction and although this is a realistic fiction, I enjoy that so much of it is true and as the author quotes, “I felt that the most important thing I could do was involve the reader emotionally.” The author listened to his great uncle’s recording of his life and decided to write a book about it. Vahan is from a wealthy Armenian family in Bitlis, a province of Turkey during the reign of Hitler. He has servants and a happy family but soon that is all destroyed and he becomes the servants and loses his family. He travels around for safety, losing more and more each day. He fights for his life and is constantly running away. As I stated before, he recorded his journey, therefore he made it to the United States alive but Vahan had extraordinary obstacles to overcome.
Vahan is the main character and as he loses his family members, one by one and anyone else close to him, it really eliminates having any one else as a main character. Vahan was very intelligent and strong because he knew the best ways to escape and also what to do. For instance, he is driving three horses that belonged to the Germans, he realizes how awful that would look if he was found with them even though he was told to drive them. He constantly knows when it is best to leave and when to find someone to care for him. He is strong and does not beg and tries so hard to please his father.
Armenians, Turkey, Germans, Hitler, Holocaust, rape, orphan, survivor
The book was title “Forgotten Fire” because the author feels that people have forgotten what has happened to the Armenians and Fire because Vahan’s father would tell him that steel is made strong by fire.
Vahan is the main character and as he loses his family members, one by one and anyone else close to him, it really eliminates having any one else as a main character. Vahan was very intelligent and strong because he knew the best ways to escape and also what to do. For instance, he is driving three horses that belonged to the Germans, he realizes how awful that would look if he was found with them even though he was told to drive them. He constantly knows when it is best to leave and when to find someone to care for him. He is strong and does not beg and tries so hard to please his father.
Armenians, Turkey, Germans, Hitler, Holocaust, rape, orphan, survivor
The book was title “Forgotten Fire” because the author feels that people have forgotten what has happened to the Armenians and Fire because Vahan’s father would tell him that steel is made strong by fire.
February 28, 2011
VISIT MY BLOG: thereadersheartstring.blogspot.com
War, death, family and hope.
Heres' A Description:
'In 1915 Vahan Kenderian is living a life of privilege as the youngest son of a wealthy Armenian family in Turkey. This world of comfort and security is shattered when some family members are whisked away and others are murdered before his eyes. In too short a time, Vahan loses his home and family and, to survive, is forced to live a life he could never have dreamed of. Somehow Vahan's incredible strength and spirit help him endure even when he knows that each day could be his last.'
Forgotten Fire by Adam Bagdasarian is in one word, Heart-Wrenching. OK, maybe two words! ;<{)
This book was so beautiful and sad and just great. Its' a fast read, not because its simple, but because you don't wanna put it down. Vahan was such a strong and powerful character and his three year struggle for survival was so real without being overbearing that I could feel and imagine everything he went through.
The book starts off with a serious bang that will already bring tears to your eyes, taking place in the Armenian Holocaust that most people don't know about, I certainly didn't. Though Vahan comes from a rich family he never acts like it and that was great. He witnesses people being murdered, rape and suicide and still manages to be hopeful.You will want to know what happens next after every page and you will not help but love him and his fire to survive. You will marvel over his subtle, yet powerful journey from a 12 year old boy to a man.
Forgotten Fire will have you thinking about it for days and days after.
Story: 6/5
Pace: 4.5/5
Originality: 5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Ending: 4.5/5
The Score is 4.8!
VISIT MY BLOG: thereadersheartstring.blogspot.com
War, death, family and hope.
Heres' A Description:
'In 1915 Vahan Kenderian is living a life of privilege as the youngest son of a wealthy Armenian family in Turkey. This world of comfort and security is shattered when some family members are whisked away and others are murdered before his eyes. In too short a time, Vahan loses his home and family and, to survive, is forced to live a life he could never have dreamed of. Somehow Vahan's incredible strength and spirit help him endure even when he knows that each day could be his last.'
Forgotten Fire by Adam Bagdasarian is in one word, Heart-Wrenching. OK, maybe two words! ;<{)
This book was so beautiful and sad and just great. Its' a fast read, not because its simple, but because you don't wanna put it down. Vahan was such a strong and powerful character and his three year struggle for survival was so real without being overbearing that I could feel and imagine everything he went through.
The book starts off with a serious bang that will already bring tears to your eyes, taking place in the Armenian Holocaust that most people don't know about, I certainly didn't. Though Vahan comes from a rich family he never acts like it and that was great. He witnesses people being murdered, rape and suicide and still manages to be hopeful.You will want to know what happens next after every page and you will not help but love him and his fire to survive. You will marvel over his subtle, yet powerful journey from a 12 year old boy to a man.
Forgotten Fire will have you thinking about it for days and days after.
Story: 6/5
Pace: 4.5/5
Originality: 5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Ending: 4.5/5
The Score is 4.8!
VISIT MY BLOG: thereadersheartstring.blogspot.com
October 21, 2009
Adam Bagdasarian, author of Forgotten Fire, did a superb job of fictionalizing the story of his great uncle's run for survival from the Armenian genocide during World War I. The author spares no expense in truly articulating the degradation of mind, body, and spirit as twelve year old Vahan Kenderian is taken from his home and forced to endure in several situations unfathomable for a child of that age - he sees his two older brothers shot to death; sees his sister, dead from taking poison, carried out of a dark room that is full with 60 other starving and dehydrated Armenians like she is a sack of flour. He witnesses a Turkish soldier bludgeon his grandmother to death with a rock while she tries to get a drink of water from a river polluted with dead bodies. And this all happens at the very beginning of the book.
The only thing I did not like about the story was the characterization of Vahan in the beginning of the story. He wasn't very likable. Bagdasarian focused on his wealth and privilege. He was the baby of the family, he had no real responsibilities, and thought that his life was the way it was supposed to be. Those less fortunate than him did not register to him until he became one of the less fortunate. I'm almost certain that this wasn't the author's intention, but still I had a hard time liking him at first.
Bagdasarian's captivating tale will certainly bring light to an almost unheard of genocide. Only by learning of these atrocities in our world's not so distant past will we be able to ensure that the mass extermination of entire ethnic groups does not ever happen again.
The only thing I did not like about the story was the characterization of Vahan in the beginning of the story. He wasn't very likable. Bagdasarian focused on his wealth and privilege. He was the baby of the family, he had no real responsibilities, and thought that his life was the way it was supposed to be. Those less fortunate than him did not register to him until he became one of the less fortunate. I'm almost certain that this wasn't the author's intention, but still I had a hard time liking him at first.
Bagdasarian's captivating tale will certainly bring light to an almost unheard of genocide. Only by learning of these atrocities in our world's not so distant past will we be able to ensure that the mass extermination of entire ethnic groups does not ever happen again.
March 9, 2010
Plot summary:
Vahan Kandarian has it all: a happy and blessed family, friends, a big home, riches; he never has to worry about his needs being met and exceeded. But all of that changes when the Armenian Holocaust begins. Literally overnight, this 12 year-old boy is demoted from prince to pauper. This novel is the story of his survival in chaotic and violent Turkey. What happens to young Vahan is unimaginable and depressing. He learns a hard lesson about character and dignity and what it really means to experience loss. Nonetheless, the story ends on a hopeful note, and, despite its difficult subject matter and horrific imagery, it is a very inspirational read.
Main Character:
Vahan-a spoiled, lazy 12 year-old whose world is turned upside down overnight. As he watches horrendous events unfold before his eyes, he must learn to survive or else he will be killed. The changes that his character undergoes throughout the story are heartwarming and poignant. By the end, he is no longer lazy nor spoiled, and it is because of his father's wisdom that Vahan lives through unbelievable circumstances.
Key issues:
bravery, fear of death, loneliness, the power of friendship, cruelty, surviving perpetual loss, hope, life's blessings
Quotes I loved:
" 'Time takes everything, Vahan. But your heart, your character, your faith, do not belong to time. So build your home here,' he [the coppersmith:] said, touching his chest. 'Then you will always be safe, and you will never be alone' " (187-8).
"He seemed to measure out his words and actions with a very small spoon, as though they were precious medicine to be administered in precise doses" (203).
Vahan Kandarian has it all: a happy and blessed family, friends, a big home, riches; he never has to worry about his needs being met and exceeded. But all of that changes when the Armenian Holocaust begins. Literally overnight, this 12 year-old boy is demoted from prince to pauper. This novel is the story of his survival in chaotic and violent Turkey. What happens to young Vahan is unimaginable and depressing. He learns a hard lesson about character and dignity and what it really means to experience loss. Nonetheless, the story ends on a hopeful note, and, despite its difficult subject matter and horrific imagery, it is a very inspirational read.
Main Character:
Vahan-a spoiled, lazy 12 year-old whose world is turned upside down overnight. As he watches horrendous events unfold before his eyes, he must learn to survive or else he will be killed. The changes that his character undergoes throughout the story are heartwarming and poignant. By the end, he is no longer lazy nor spoiled, and it is because of his father's wisdom that Vahan lives through unbelievable circumstances.
Key issues:
bravery, fear of death, loneliness, the power of friendship, cruelty, surviving perpetual loss, hope, life's blessings
Quotes I loved:
" 'Time takes everything, Vahan. But your heart, your character, your faith, do not belong to time. So build your home here,' he [the coppersmith:] said, touching his chest. 'Then you will always be safe, and you will never be alone' " (187-8).
"He seemed to measure out his words and actions with a very small spoon, as though they were precious medicine to be administered in precise doses" (203).
November 25, 2011
Rating: **** I thought this was a very well written book that was informative and gripping. Even though the Armenian Holocaust is a very depressing subject, I kept reading because the story was very moving.
Genre: historical fiction
Plot Summary: Vahan Kenderian is an Armenian living well in Turkey when the Turks start eradicating all Armenians. When most of his family is murdered Vahan begins a fight for survival and a journey that puts him in situations he never dreamed possible. Throughout his journey for survival he meets people who either look down on him or help him. It is not only a journey for survival, it is a journey of growing up and learning who you are, who you want to become, and what family really means.
Main Characters:
Vahan Kenderian- Main character who is telling the story. He is 12 year old Armenian boy. He is proud, at times arrogant, and has great perseverance.
Family Members: mom, sisters (Oskina,Arenouhi) brothers (Sisak), grandmother, father.
Selim Bay- Ex governor of Van, he is known for brutally killing Armenians. Proud, arrogant.
Kind people who help Vahan: Mrs. Altoonian, Shirin, Ari Sarkisian, Mrs. Fauld, Dr. Tashian and his wife, Seta, Mr. Koulouris
Mean people who are prejudice towards Armenians: Mustafa, General Khalil
Key issues: Armenian holocaust, war, growing up, survival, prejudice, family.
Other interesting information: This book is very well written and based on a true story. It would pair well with other books about holocausts such as the Diary of Anne Frank or Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo.
Genre: historical fiction
Plot Summary: Vahan Kenderian is an Armenian living well in Turkey when the Turks start eradicating all Armenians. When most of his family is murdered Vahan begins a fight for survival and a journey that puts him in situations he never dreamed possible. Throughout his journey for survival he meets people who either look down on him or help him. It is not only a journey for survival, it is a journey of growing up and learning who you are, who you want to become, and what family really means.
Main Characters:
Vahan Kenderian- Main character who is telling the story. He is 12 year old Armenian boy. He is proud, at times arrogant, and has great perseverance.
Family Members: mom, sisters (Oskina,Arenouhi) brothers (Sisak), grandmother, father.
Selim Bay- Ex governor of Van, he is known for brutally killing Armenians. Proud, arrogant.
Kind people who help Vahan: Mrs. Altoonian, Shirin, Ari Sarkisian, Mrs. Fauld, Dr. Tashian and his wife, Seta, Mr. Koulouris
Mean people who are prejudice towards Armenians: Mustafa, General Khalil
Key issues: Armenian holocaust, war, growing up, survival, prejudice, family.
Other interesting information: This book is very well written and based on a true story. It would pair well with other books about holocausts such as the Diary of Anne Frank or Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo.
June 4, 2012
There are two reasons to why I read this book. One being that the book is about my culture and the hardships they faced. Another factor is that both my grandparents have read it and recommend it to me.
Vahan Kenderian is the youngest son in a wealthy Armenian family that lives in Bitlis, Turkey. Obviously, his happiness and stability was removed by the fact that his family was destroyed. Vahan now must endure his upcoming quest towards survival knowing he will live a life in poverty throughout it. His hope and courage is what is keeping him from seeing the horrible things that can occur to him.
My favorite quote would have to be when Vahan saw how much pain his brother, Sisak, was in: "I was almost frantic now because I didn't know what to do. I was supposed to be the one who got sick; I was supposed to be the one who Sisak nursed back to health. But somehow we had changed places, and now i was his older brother, his doctor and nurse. I was his last and only hope." This quote represents Vahan's maturity throughout the book. He used to think as himself as the smallest boy, but now, he is the big brother. He must be the one helping Sisak. This quote inspired me.
Throughout the story, there has been constant suspense. Adam Bagdasarian was able to keep me from concealing the book. Seeing someone with my own blood go through a tremendous yet terrifying journey in first person is truly amazing. Adam Bagdasarian wrote this book in a first person.
To be honest, I would most likely recommend these books to those who aren't Armenian. The reason why is because I want them to recognize the true feeling of Armenians during the genocide.
Vahan Kenderian is the youngest son in a wealthy Armenian family that lives in Bitlis, Turkey. Obviously, his happiness and stability was removed by the fact that his family was destroyed. Vahan now must endure his upcoming quest towards survival knowing he will live a life in poverty throughout it. His hope and courage is what is keeping him from seeing the horrible things that can occur to him.
My favorite quote would have to be when Vahan saw how much pain his brother, Sisak, was in: "I was almost frantic now because I didn't know what to do. I was supposed to be the one who got sick; I was supposed to be the one who Sisak nursed back to health. But somehow we had changed places, and now i was his older brother, his doctor and nurse. I was his last and only hope." This quote represents Vahan's maturity throughout the book. He used to think as himself as the smallest boy, but now, he is the big brother. He must be the one helping Sisak. This quote inspired me.
Throughout the story, there has been constant suspense. Adam Bagdasarian was able to keep me from concealing the book. Seeing someone with my own blood go through a tremendous yet terrifying journey in first person is truly amazing. Adam Bagdasarian wrote this book in a first person.
To be honest, I would most likely recommend these books to those who aren't Armenian. The reason why is because I want them to recognize the true feeling of Armenians during the genocide.
February 23, 2010
Plot Summary: A 12 year old boy grows up in a wealthy household, with family, friends, money, and laughter. A war/ destruction takes place in his town and the family endures several struggles. The boy sees his family members killed and taken, and he ends up becoming an orphan. He moves from town to town and travels.. he is trying to find safety, food and possibly people who will bring comfort to his empty life.
Main Characters: Vahan- careless in school, lacked disipline and character, wanted to be strong and respected like his dad, hardened by seeing his family members die, hardened by the war taking place.. feels empty, alone, bitter, angry, not caring if he lives or dies at some points in the story. Felt in the beginning that life would always be pleasant, easy and enjoyable, but his life completely changes. He begged at one point in the story, he pretended to be deaf and mute, and he realized that he would never see his home, family, or friends again = life was completely changed
Key issues: death, war, growing up, survival, feeling alone, helpless and hopeless
other interesting facts:
key passages: "As far as I was concerned, character and discipline were consolation prizes given to the meek, the unadventurous, and the unlucky" page 5
"I cried because my skin itches under my clothes and because my clothes were filthy and because I smelled like the street I had been begging on" page 105
" 'Thank you,' I said, secretly thrilled by the mention of the word home" page 192
Main Characters: Vahan- careless in school, lacked disipline and character, wanted to be strong and respected like his dad, hardened by seeing his family members die, hardened by the war taking place.. feels empty, alone, bitter, angry, not caring if he lives or dies at some points in the story. Felt in the beginning that life would always be pleasant, easy and enjoyable, but his life completely changes. He begged at one point in the story, he pretended to be deaf and mute, and he realized that he would never see his home, family, or friends again = life was completely changed
Key issues: death, war, growing up, survival, feeling alone, helpless and hopeless
other interesting facts:
key passages: "As far as I was concerned, character and discipline were consolation prizes given to the meek, the unadventurous, and the unlucky" page 5
"I cried because my skin itches under my clothes and because my clothes were filthy and because I smelled like the street I had been begging on" page 105
" 'Thank you,' I said, secretly thrilled by the mention of the word home" page 192
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