What do you think?
Rate this book
Ravished Armenia: The story of Aurora Mardiganian, The Christian Girl Who Survived the Great Massacres
What the girl replied was so well remembered by the Turks who heard her that they told of it afterward ward among themselves until it was known through all the district. She looked quietly into the face of the Turkish officer and said:
"My father is not dead. My mother is not dead. My brother and sisters, and my uncle and aunt and grandfather are not dead. It may be true you have killed them, but they live in Heaven. I shall live with them. I would not be worthy of them if I proved untrue to their God and mine. Nor could I live in Heaven with them if I should marry a man I do not love. God would not like that. Do with me what you wish."
---------------
AN EMBLEMATIC account of the Armenian genocide, the international bestseller Ravished Armenia tells the incredible story of the 14-year-old Armenian girl Aurora Mardiganian in the chaos that gripped the Ottoman Empire in 1915.
At the price of four heroic escapes, Aurora managed to escape the columns of death: once by throwing herself off a cliff in the Euphrates, another by stabbing a soldier who attacked here...
In a war empire wreaked with chaos, where women were the target of all the abuses, the young Aurora managed to survive nearly two years. Then, commissioned by General Andranik, she joined New York to send relief and raise funds. Aurora has been nicknamed the St. Joane of Armenia.
Aurora Mardiganian is both "the innocence of Anne Frank and the realism of Primo Levi", carried by a significant force out of the ordinary. Aurora Mardiganian is one of the great witnesses of the history of humanity and Ravished Armenia belongs to the global collective unconscious.
In 2015, the Republic of Armenia chose to make Aurora the face of the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity.
All profits from the sale of the book are donated to actions in favor of Armenia and its diaspora
"My father is not dead. My mother is not dead. My brother and sisters, and my uncle and aunt and grandfather are not dead. It may be true you have killed them, but they live in Heaven. I shall live with them. I would not be worthy of them if I proved untrue to their God and mine. Nor could I live in Heaven with them if I should marry a man I do not love. God would not like that. Do with me what you wish."
---------------
AN EMBLEMATIC account of the Armenian genocide, the international bestseller Ravished Armenia tells the incredible story of the 14-year-old Armenian girl Aurora Mardiganian in the chaos that gripped the Ottoman Empire in 1915.
At the price of four heroic escapes, Aurora managed to escape the columns of death: once by throwing herself off a cliff in the Euphrates, another by stabbing a soldier who attacked here...
In a war empire wreaked with chaos, where women were the target of all the abuses, the young Aurora managed to survive nearly two years. Then, commissioned by General Andranik, she joined New York to send relief and raise funds. Aurora has been nicknamed the St. Joane of Armenia.
Aurora Mardiganian is both "the innocence of Anne Frank and the realism of Primo Levi", carried by a significant force out of the ordinary. Aurora Mardiganian is one of the great witnesses of the history of humanity and Ravished Armenia belongs to the global collective unconscious.
In 2015, the Republic of Armenia chose to make Aurora the face of the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity.
All profits from the sale of the book are donated to actions in favor of Armenia and its diaspora
168 pages, Paperback
First published October 14, 2010
45 people are currently reading
356 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
July 7, 2015
This was an extremely hard book to read because of the horrific content. It's so important that more people are aware of what happened to the Armenian Christians 100 years ago in 1915. The Armenian genocide took the lives of over 2 million, yet, it's not well known by the public, not taught in schools, and is denied by the Turkish government.
Even by WWII, the world had forgotten what happened to these people. Adolf Hitler supported his argument that the world would forget the extermination of a people by stating: "Who does now remember the Armenians?"
This book is a first hand account of a young girl who lost all her family members in the genocide. The horrors she went through are so difficult to read about ... the inhumanity of the Moslem Kurds and Turks is utterly incomprehensible. But through it all, Aurora remains steadfast in her faith.
"I could not bring myself to deny Christ, after having remained faithful to Him for so long. I asked Him what I should do and His answer came, just as clear and direct as when I was about to use my knife outside the rocks of Diyarbekir. I seemed to see Father Rhoupen, the priest, and I even felt his hand on my shoulder again, just as when he said to me, 'Always trust in God and remain faithful unto Him.' I told the kalfa I could not forswear Jesus Christ."
Aurora wrote this account shortly after coming to America, publishing it in 1918. A film was made about her experiences in 1919, and Aurora plays herself in the silent film.
This book shows us that history does repeat itself. The same thing is happening right now to Christians in the Middle East, and we must remember them. We must pray for them to remain safe and steadfast.
This book is definitely not for younger readers. Because of the content, I'd recommend it for young adults and adults.
I read this on Kindle and the formatting was wacky and difficult to follow at times. Otherwise I would have given this 5 stars.
Even by WWII, the world had forgotten what happened to these people. Adolf Hitler supported his argument that the world would forget the extermination of a people by stating: "Who does now remember the Armenians?"
This book is a first hand account of a young girl who lost all her family members in the genocide. The horrors she went through are so difficult to read about ... the inhumanity of the Moslem Kurds and Turks is utterly incomprehensible. But through it all, Aurora remains steadfast in her faith.
"I could not bring myself to deny Christ, after having remained faithful to Him for so long. I asked Him what I should do and His answer came, just as clear and direct as when I was about to use my knife outside the rocks of Diyarbekir. I seemed to see Father Rhoupen, the priest, and I even felt his hand on my shoulder again, just as when he said to me, 'Always trust in God and remain faithful unto Him.' I told the kalfa I could not forswear Jesus Christ."
Aurora wrote this account shortly after coming to America, publishing it in 1918. A film was made about her experiences in 1919, and Aurora plays herself in the silent film.
This book shows us that history does repeat itself. The same thing is happening right now to Christians in the Middle East, and we must remember them. We must pray for them to remain safe and steadfast.
This book is definitely not for younger readers. Because of the content, I'd recommend it for young adults and adults.
I read this on Kindle and the formatting was wacky and difficult to follow at times. Otherwise I would have given this 5 stars.
December 8, 2018
The book is more like a 4 stars, but I've also read some troubling things abut the origin of the book so I don't know exactly where I stand. I don't know how much of the book was written by Aurora herself, as the book is definitely a product of its time, which was actually toned down to suit the sensibilities of the American society. Second, the way Aurora was exploited in USA, with no regard to her mental health, even after all the horror she endured, I just can't ignore it, even if in the end it probably lead to many refugees being helped.
But what about the book itself? Well, it's well written and engaging. And many, many horrible things happen in it from the beginning until the end. I'm still annoyed this is one of the very few accounts of what happened one can find to read, which means barely anyone knows something this particular genocide. I actually bought the book at the Genocide memorial in Armenia. So what I can say is that the book is very disturbing, so if you can't deal with violence directed to children, torture and a lot of sexual violence, then maybe this is not the book for you. But one should still get informed regarding what happened.
But what about the book itself? Well, it's well written and engaging. And many, many horrible things happen in it from the beginning until the end. I'm still annoyed this is one of the very few accounts of what happened one can find to read, which means barely anyone knows something this particular genocide. I actually bought the book at the Genocide memorial in Armenia. So what I can say is that the book is very disturbing, so if you can't deal with violence directed to children, torture and a lot of sexual violence, then maybe this is not the book for you. But one should still get informed regarding what happened.
December 14, 2025
This is an unforgettable memoir of a Christian Armenian young girl and the genocide of the Armenian people by the Muslim Kurds and Turks in 1915.
This piece of history is largely unknown by most, is not taught in schools, and is denied by the Turkish government. Even by WW2, the world had forgotten these people. Hitler used the Armenian people as support for his argument that the world would soon forget the extermination of a people. In 1939 during an address to his military commanders which outlined his plan for the physical destruction of the Polish people, Hitler asked them, “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?”
Aurora’s entire family was massacred by the Muslims along with more than two million other Armenians. The suffering and torture endured by this young girl and her people defies adequate explanation. The inhumane, animalistic, evil actions of these Mohammedans is incomprehensible.
This first hand account answers every possible question as to what is believed and taught and done by followers of Mohammad in the name of Allah. Islam is more an ideology of conquest than a “religion.” The very word “Islam” means “to submit.” Every person, and especially every Christian and every Jew, must read this.
The Lord supernaturally spared Aurora’s life so that she could be a witness to the world of these events. This witness is needed just as much now as these atrocities continue in our world today wherever Islam has dominated, whether in the Middle East, throughout Africa (especially Nigeria), and most recently in many parts of Europe. This has always been the history of Islam. “What was, will be; what was done before, will be done again. There is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9
As further proof of this, Muslim philosopher Ibn Khaldun (died in 1406) described the Arabs of his time as “the most savage human beings that exist.”
If Islam remains unchallenged, the western world will once again - America for the first time - see more and more of the horrifying realities of Islam.
I learned so much from reading Aurora’s story. I learned much about the Armenian people - a highly educated, prosperous, fiercely Christian people. I learned more of what is to be expected by those orthodox Muslims who follow the teachings of the Koran and the Hadith and the example of Mohammad. I learned how much the Germans in both WW1 and WW2 allied with the Muslims to arm, train and support them in their atrocities. (My WW2 learning was not read in this book but spurred on by its contents). I learned about a young 12 year old girl who remained steadfast in her faith and devoted to Christ throughout the most horrifying suffering. Lastly, I learned that in 1915 the Armenians saw America as their great friend and rescuer. I am reluctant to research whether or not we fulfilled what the Armenians hoped we would do for them.
Aurora says, “I have often wondered since I came to America, where life is so different from that of my country, if any of the good people whom I meet could imagine the sufferings of that night while I lay in the darkness, my hands fastened and my feet haltered to the restless animal.
There seems to be so little of tragedy in this country - so little of real suffering. I can hardly believe yet, though I have been free so many months now, that there is a land where there is no punishment for believing in God.”
For how much longer will this accurately describe America? I would suggest that learning all we can about Islam and its history is a priority for all of us who treasure the freedoms and values enjoyed in western civilization.
This piece of history is largely unknown by most, is not taught in schools, and is denied by the Turkish government. Even by WW2, the world had forgotten these people. Hitler used the Armenian people as support for his argument that the world would soon forget the extermination of a people. In 1939 during an address to his military commanders which outlined his plan for the physical destruction of the Polish people, Hitler asked them, “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?”
Aurora’s entire family was massacred by the Muslims along with more than two million other Armenians. The suffering and torture endured by this young girl and her people defies adequate explanation. The inhumane, animalistic, evil actions of these Mohammedans is incomprehensible.
This first hand account answers every possible question as to what is believed and taught and done by followers of Mohammad in the name of Allah. Islam is more an ideology of conquest than a “religion.” The very word “Islam” means “to submit.” Every person, and especially every Christian and every Jew, must read this.
The Lord supernaturally spared Aurora’s life so that she could be a witness to the world of these events. This witness is needed just as much now as these atrocities continue in our world today wherever Islam has dominated, whether in the Middle East, throughout Africa (especially Nigeria), and most recently in many parts of Europe. This has always been the history of Islam. “What was, will be; what was done before, will be done again. There is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9
As further proof of this, Muslim philosopher Ibn Khaldun (died in 1406) described the Arabs of his time as “the most savage human beings that exist.”
If Islam remains unchallenged, the western world will once again - America for the first time - see more and more of the horrifying realities of Islam.
I learned so much from reading Aurora’s story. I learned much about the Armenian people - a highly educated, prosperous, fiercely Christian people. I learned more of what is to be expected by those orthodox Muslims who follow the teachings of the Koran and the Hadith and the example of Mohammad. I learned how much the Germans in both WW1 and WW2 allied with the Muslims to arm, train and support them in their atrocities. (My WW2 learning was not read in this book but spurred on by its contents). I learned about a young 12 year old girl who remained steadfast in her faith and devoted to Christ throughout the most horrifying suffering. Lastly, I learned that in 1915 the Armenians saw America as their great friend and rescuer. I am reluctant to research whether or not we fulfilled what the Armenians hoped we would do for them.
Aurora says, “I have often wondered since I came to America, where life is so different from that of my country, if any of the good people whom I meet could imagine the sufferings of that night while I lay in the darkness, my hands fastened and my feet haltered to the restless animal.
There seems to be so little of tragedy in this country - so little of real suffering. I can hardly believe yet, though I have been free so many months now, that there is a land where there is no punishment for believing in God.”
For how much longer will this accurately describe America? I would suggest that learning all we can about Islam and its history is a priority for all of us who treasure the freedoms and values enjoyed in western civilization.
January 19, 2020
قَبل الحديث عن العمل ، رُبّما تكون أورورا مارديغانيان الناجية من مذابح الأرمن في بدايات القرن الماضي ( 1915 ) على أيدي السلطات العثمانية أهم شاهد على إبادة راح ضحيتها أكثر من مليون ونصف إنسان حسب إحصائيات المنظمات العالمية ، مارديغانيان مراهقة أرمنية تعرضت للتهجير القسري في مسيرات الموت والإغتصاب والتعذيب وقُتل أهلها أمامها وشهدت الكثير من الأحداث المُفجعة وهي لم تتجاوز ١٥ عاماً حينها وهذه الشهادة تفتح لنا نافذة على إحدى أهم القضايا في القرن الماضي . بعد هروب أورورا إلى أمريكا وكتابة قصتها تم إنتاج فيلم سينيمائي توثيقي عن قصة أورورا تحت مسمى " بازار الأرواح " لتعريف العالم بمذبحة الآرمن .
أما بالنسبة للعمل فهو أقرب ما يكون للمُذكّرات التوثيقيّة لسلسلة التهجير القسري من أن يكون رواية ، مشاهد منفصلة وإحصائيات ( مع بعض الخيال ) في بعض المشاهد لمُحاولة صنع قالب روائي .. الأهم أن تجربة أورورا المريرة هي درس مُفجع أن وحشيّة الإنسان بشعة جداً جداً عِندما يُعطى الصلاحيات المُطلقة دون محاسبة..
أما بالنسبة للعمل فهو أقرب ما يكون للمُذكّرات التوثيقيّة لسلسلة التهجير القسري من أن يكون رواية ، مشاهد منفصلة وإحصائيات ( مع بعض الخيال ) في بعض المشاهد لمُحاولة صنع قالب روائي .. الأهم أن تجربة أورورا المريرة هي درس مُفجع أن وحشيّة الإنسان بشعة جداً جداً عِندما يُعطى الصلاحيات المُطلقة دون محاسبة..
November 30, 2023
As the guest editor for this biography for Lil Beethoven I can tell you it is a brutally real look at the 1915 Armenia Genocide by one of the few survivors, a young fourteen-year-old girl, Aurora Mardiganian. Her uncomprimising recollection of actual events reads like a Hemingway novel. If you've never read this account it is definately worth the dive into the deep end of the pool.
Jéanpaul
Jéanpaul
November 30, 2022
الرواية عبارة عن ان المسيحي هو البريء المسكين والمسلم هو المجرم القاتل الذي يقتل المسيحيين ، الرواية بلا شك فيها مبالغات وان كان بعض الاحداث حقيقية الا انه بلا شك يوجد مبالغات كعادة المسيحيين ليصوروا انفسهم انهم مساكين وان الاديان الاخرى وخصوصاً الاسلام معادية لهم .
March 12, 2025
Absolute heartbreak for all of the women and girls that were forced to go through all of this nightmare.
December 17, 2018
Are
This is just a raw writing of this poor woman 's journey to the U.S. during the genocide. It depicts the atrocities that many have written about and tells of her family's horror. It appears to be a translation as there are a lot of errors in the text.
This is just a raw writing of this poor woman 's journey to the U.S. during the genocide. It depicts the atrocities that many have written about and tells of her family's horror. It appears to be a translation as there are a lot of errors in the text.
May 22, 2018
So I came out of this with very mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was glad to read a first-person account of the Armenian Genocide (which many countries still do not recognize, by the by). On the other hand, I was grossed out by the blatant commercialization of Aurora's story. First of all, her name isn't Aurora--it's Arshaluis (a beautiful Armenian name with a similar meaning). Aurora didn't write the book but rather gave her account to a man who (if I am remembering correctly) also wrote the film adaptation of her experience during the Genocide. Fun fact: Arshaluis played herself in the film version, and YES, that is NOT FUN and is just as horrifying as you expect. She suffered incredible PTSD and repeated trauma after her escape to the U.S., where her guardians exploited her and eventually left her penniless. There's another book by historian Anthony Slide that actually goes into the real story of Arshaluis's life, so I definitely recommend reading that account (for which Slide actually took the time to interview Arshaluis and get her real words for a change).
You can tell the story was modified to appeal to an American audience, and frankly that makes it worse because the book focuses a lot on the rape and torture of women (which happened) but in a gross way? (as in, I feel like the book wasn't giving these horrors the weight and respect they were due) The book always emphasized how young, beautiful, and well-educated these young women were, when you know, the Genocide didn't spare anyone: it affected young, old, men, women, children, rich, poor--death and suffering were wide-reaching, so to try to gain American sympathies by using young women felt a little gross. I wish I could read Aurora's real story, because we know for a fact that this account glossed over the more gruesome aspects (e.g. the book and the film mention that the Turks crucified young women, when in fact they impaled the women in a VERY, very horrific manner... not that there's a non-horrific method of impaling people, but as methods go it will certainly fuel nightmares and churn your stomach).
I recommend reading this, but there are better, less sensationalized accounts of the Genocide that actually take the person's experience and humanity into account. Obviously I recommend Anthony Slide's historical book on Arshaluis and the events surrounding this book's creation and marketing (and how this affected Arshaluis later in life). I for one intend to read many more accounts of the Genocide, its survivors, and the survivors' descendants.
You can tell the story was modified to appeal to an American audience, and frankly that makes it worse because the book focuses a lot on the rape and torture of women (which happened) but in a gross way? (as in, I feel like the book wasn't giving these horrors the weight and respect they were due) The book always emphasized how young, beautiful, and well-educated these young women were, when you know, the Genocide didn't spare anyone: it affected young, old, men, women, children, rich, poor--death and suffering were wide-reaching, so to try to gain American sympathies by using young women felt a little gross. I wish I could read Aurora's real story, because we know for a fact that this account glossed over the more gruesome aspects (e.g. the book and the film mention that the Turks crucified young women, when in fact they impaled the women in a VERY, very horrific manner... not that there's a non-horrific method of impaling people, but as methods go it will certainly fuel nightmares and churn your stomach).
I recommend reading this, but there are better, less sensationalized accounts of the Genocide that actually take the person's experience and humanity into account. Obviously I recommend Anthony Slide's historical book on Arshaluis and the events surrounding this book's creation and marketing (and how this affected Arshaluis later in life). I for one intend to read many more accounts of the Genocide, its survivors, and the survivors' descendants.
October 1, 2019
Ravished Armenia: The Story of Aurora Mardiganian, the Christian Girl Who Lived Through the Great Massacres bu Arshaluys (Aurora) Mardiganian. The title kind of says it all. The author, who was barely a teenager when the "deportations" of Christian Armenians by the Turks and other Muslims began, describes the cruelties perpetrated by the Turks including shootings, beheadings, being beaten to death, and selling into slavery, especially the young girls who were forced to convert to Islam or killed. Women paid a particularly high price being regularly raped and sold in the Muslim slave markets. Estimates are of 1.5 million Armenians who were killed due to exhaustion from the forced marches, starvation, or outright murder and often just for entertainment. Turkey even today denies these acts of genocide that provided inspiration for Hitler's actions against the Jews. When we were in Turkey on vacation this touchy subject came up and the previously friendly Turks we were with suddenly became cold and claimed that the Armenians started it and it wasn't genocide. At least one reviewer questioned the veracity of Aurora's story. I would say that from other books I've read and documentaries I watched that these horrible things were done to the Armenian people by the Muslim Turks who thought of them as sub-human because they were Christians as the Nazis did with the Jews. The author's book pulls all of these atrocities together into one book as she documents the killings of her friends and family before managing to survive and move to America with the help of kindly souls including some Muslims. A shocking description of mans' inhumanity to man in the name of religion. If you haven't already read books on this topic, it may be particularly shocking; if you have, it's more of the same. Well written in any case.
December 16, 2015
While I give Aurora Mardiganian herself five stars, I give this rip-off of a book one star. If you do some research you will find that this book was not actually written by her, it was written by a Hollywood movie director. He wrote this and immediately made it into a movie, raking in millions of dollars in profits. A red flag was raised when it went way into too much detail for a teenager, which Aurora was at the time. The director exploited Aurora something awful and she died alone in a nursing home (all of this info is online, you just need to research to find it, as I did). The story has also been sensationalized to help with fundraising efforts. My heart goes out to Aurora and all those who suffered through this genocide, but I would have preferred to have her real story, not something Hollywood used to sell tickets.
April 19, 2016
This is a harrowing first-person account written by Aurora Mardiganian, who was a young teenager when the Armenian genocide began in Turkey in 1915. She lost her entire family and suffered terribly before the ordeal was over--including rapes, starvation, torture, and other unimaginable horror.
I had never heard of this tragedy until reading about it in WORLD magazine a year ago, and I was shocked to learn at that time that many of the atrocities committed in Turkey were committed by the Nazis a couple of decades later.
This is not reading for the fainthearted, but I think it's an important read. Many of these same things are taking place today against Christians, Yazidis, and other minorities in the Middle East.
I had never heard of this tragedy until reading about it in WORLD magazine a year ago, and I was shocked to learn at that time that many of the atrocities committed in Turkey were committed by the Nazis a couple of decades later.
This is not reading for the fainthearted, but I think it's an important read. Many of these same things are taking place today against Christians, Yazidis, and other minorities in the Middle East.
September 24, 2018
Aurora you are my hero!
This book made me ashamed to be a human being. There were many times that I wanted to put the book down and just crawl into a hole. I can't even imagine going through half as much pain and suffering as Aurora did and still survive with any part my mind still intact. Thank you for informing and reminding the world of mans' inhumanity to man. Lest we forget!
This book made me ashamed to be a human being. There were many times that I wanted to put the book down and just crawl into a hole. I can't even imagine going through half as much pain and suffering as Aurora did and still survive with any part my mind still intact. Thank you for informing and reminding the world of mans' inhumanity to man. Lest we forget!
January 19, 2020
رواية مملة لا يعلم مدى صحة ماحدث فيها وغالباً ما تكون الأرقام غير صحيحة وليست في مجال التصديق.
وإن كان قد حصل مثل ما ذكر في الرواية من الأتراك إلا أن الناقل أو المترجم لم يأخد صيغة الرواية والكتابة المناسبة لإيصال الفكرة الحقة والواضحة التي سيكون لها الأثر في تحقيق المراد من الرواية .
كتابة سردية متتابعة مكررة الأحداث غايتها ضعيفة.
وإن كان قد حصل مثل ما ذكر في الرواية من الأتراك إلا أن الناقل أو المترجم لم يأخد صيغة الرواية والكتابة المناسبة لإيصال الفكرة الحقة والواضحة التي سيكون لها الأثر في تحقيق المراد من الرواية .
كتابة سردية متتابعة مكررة الأحداث غايتها ضعيفة.
Want to read
April 30, 2015R1 available @ Project Gutenberg.
March 1, 2020
كتاب مليئ بالأكاذيب و التناقضات الفاضحة
April 10, 2020
مبالغة وصلت للخيال بس جيد..جسدت معاناة الأرمن في تركيا بطريقة جيدة نوعاً ما
August 7, 2024
This story makes very clear the extent of perversity in the late Ottoman Empire, and the severe suffering of the Armenian people, neither of which I doubt. I do, however, feel that it presents an opportunity, especially more than a hundred years after its publication, to consider the degree to which the policies enacted by the Young Turks really reflected Islam, or if the persecution suffered by the Armenians was due to their Christianity. Considering that, within the pages of this book, we also see the abuse of Armenian converts to Islam, it seems unlikely that the motivation for the violence was religious, but, rather, political. The nationalism of the Young Turks could not tolerate the diversity of the Ottoman Empire, requiring instead assimilation or annihilation, hence the tragedy of the genocide. But this book consistently identifies the actions of roving bandits, cruel military officers, and corrupt officials with Islam, a characterization that is inaccurate, although it is unfair to blame the traumatized young Mardiganian for this.
Rather, it seems that H. L. Gates has done a rather strange job of interpreting. The prose is weak. The book feels rather exploitative in places. It is clearly Americophilic. Its publication and aftermath also seem to have further increased the suffering of Mardiganian. However, if the money it helped to raise even somewhat alleviated that troubles of the Armenians, then that is a good thing.
A mixed bag of a book. I wouldn't recommend it, but would suggest that the Armenian genocide be kept in mind.
Rather, it seems that H. L. Gates has done a rather strange job of interpreting. The prose is weak. The book feels rather exploitative in places. It is clearly Americophilic. Its publication and aftermath also seem to have further increased the suffering of Mardiganian. However, if the money it helped to raise even somewhat alleviated that troubles of the Armenians, then that is a good thing.
A mixed bag of a book. I wouldn't recommend it, but would suggest that the Armenian genocide be kept in mind.
October 7, 2024
This world-famous book, first published in 1918, which I bought in the Armenian Genocide Museum at Yerevan, made an enormous impression on me. It tells the story of an Armenian girl that witnessed but survived the horrible atrocities conducted by bands of Turks, Kurds and Chechens towards the Christian peoples living in present eastern Turkey and the area south of the Caucasus. The organised campaign of the Ottoman empire, to systematically eradicate the Armenian and Syrian Christians is unimaginable. Equally unimaginable is that the present Turkish government officially denies that this is to be considered a genocide. The book is based on interviews by H.L Gates with Aurora Mardiganian, shortly after she escaped to the United States. Interestingly, already in 1920 a Dutch translation was published, a copy of which was also present in the Armenian Genocide Museum. The book deserves to be read still, in present times of religiously-inspired conflicts.
August 21, 2025
I also recommend watching the film Aurora's Sunrise. Such a heartbreaking story. This is my second book about the Armenian genocide, but I definitely plan to read more. The amount of courage and strength Arshaluys had at just 14 years old is unbelievable :,(
December 20, 2017
The turks and kurds make ISIS seem gentle and meek. Now where did they learn to behave with such brutality and depravity?
July 15, 2021
يبقى الباب مواربا للبحث عن حقائق تلك الفترة ... الارمن والاتراك والتاريخ بين الزيف والحقيقة
December 26, 2024
Extremely detailed on how people were tortured. Was almost too much for me. But gave a real insight into the genocide of Armenia. Very sad and touching
August 19, 2025
Such an important book and story. My first interaction with the genocide as a young girl. Haunting and necessary.
March 5, 2021
في بعض الأحيان يسيء الشخص إلى قضية ما من حيث يعتقد أنه يحسن إليها. جرائم الإبادة والبشاعة في حق الأرمن بحاجة إلى نص قادر على إنصافها لا الإساءة إليها -على الأقل من وجهة نظري- كما حدث في هذا النص الأقل من مستوى الفاجعة بكثير.
August 19, 2017
Le témoignage déchirant d’une jeune fille, presqu’encore une enfant, qui parvint à survivre au génocide arménien.
Tout d’abord je veux remercier NetGalley et les Éditions Librinova pour ce Service Presse. Le génocide arménien, le premier du XXème siècle, est pratiquement méconnu en France et il était urgent que ce témoignage soit traduit en français. Apocalypse Arménie nous est raconté par Aurora Mardiganian. Elle a 14 ans en avril 1915 quand va commencer la plus terrible persécution du peuple arménien, un peuple profondément chrétien qui a toujours été martyrisé pour sa foi et dont l’intelligence et la supériorité morale et intellectuelle ont fait d’eux la force économique de l’empire turc. Dès le début de ce qui allait devenir un génocide, il leur est demandé de renier le Christ et devenir musulmans pour sauver leur vie. En l’espace de 24 heures, presque tous les hommes de la ville de Tchemech-Gedzak [ville où habitaient Aurora et toute sa famille] furent assassinés, souvent après avoir été torturés. Aurora va perdre son père et son frère de quinze ans, Poghos. Trois jours plus tard, c’est au tour de toutes les Arméniennes (femmes, jeunes filles, enfants) ainsi que les enfants restants qui doivent abandonner leurs domiciles. Commence alors une marche de la mort où conversions forcées, viols souvent jusqu’à ce que mort s’ensuive, tortures, enlèvements, ventes sur les marchés d’esclaves, massacres… ne cessent de se suivre. Aurora est séparée une première fois de sa famille, enlevée par les Kurdes et offerte à Kemal Effendi. Elle parvient à lui échapper en se jetant dans un fleuve et à rejoindre la longue marche des déportés et sa famille. Sa sœur Loussine meurt poignardée par un zaptié (officier de gendarmerie). Aurora parviendra à s’échapper encore trois autres fois mais tous les membres de sa famille ont péri. Quand enfin elle parviendra à rejoindre les Russes, elle n’a plus qu’une idée : venir en aide à son peuple. Le général Andranik, grand chef et héros arménien, l’envoie aux États-Unis pour qu’elle y témoigne et obtienne nourriture et argent pour les survivants.
Apocalypse Arménie est le livre le plus terrible que j’ai lu. Tout d’abord parce que rien n’est édulcoré et que tout est malheureusement vrai et prouvé malgré le refus du gouvernement turc de reconnaître le génocide. Le témoignage d’Aurora est d’une puissance rare et c’est un “miracle” qu’elle ait pu traverser les horreurs qu’elle a vécues sans y laisser sa raison. Il est impressionnant de voir qu’elle a pu conserver sa foi intacte et même rendre grâce à Dieu pour sa délivrance malgré toutes ses souffrances lors d’une dédicace.
Apocalypse Arménie devrait être lu par une majorité parce que nous avons un devoir de mémoire. J’aimerais dire « pour que plus jamais ça » mais malheureusement, l’Histoire nous a appris que depuis le génocide arménien, bien d’autres se sont produits encore : Amérindiens, Aborigènes d’Australie, Rwandais en Afrique, Chinois, Juifs, Russes, Cambodgiens, Tibétains, Ukrainiens, Soudanais, Kurdes… et j’ai bien peur que cette liste ne soit pas exhaustive. N’apprendrons-nous jamais rien ?
Alors oui, ce livre fait mal, il risque de vous choquer, de heurter votre sensibilité, mais certainement moins que si vous l’aviez vécu vous-même.
Tout d’abord je veux remercier NetGalley et les Éditions Librinova pour ce Service Presse. Le génocide arménien, le premier du XXème siècle, est pratiquement méconnu en France et il était urgent que ce témoignage soit traduit en français. Apocalypse Arménie nous est raconté par Aurora Mardiganian. Elle a 14 ans en avril 1915 quand va commencer la plus terrible persécution du peuple arménien, un peuple profondément chrétien qui a toujours été martyrisé pour sa foi et dont l’intelligence et la supériorité morale et intellectuelle ont fait d’eux la force économique de l’empire turc. Dès le début de ce qui allait devenir un génocide, il leur est demandé de renier le Christ et devenir musulmans pour sauver leur vie. En l’espace de 24 heures, presque tous les hommes de la ville de Tchemech-Gedzak [ville où habitaient Aurora et toute sa famille] furent assassinés, souvent après avoir été torturés. Aurora va perdre son père et son frère de quinze ans, Poghos. Trois jours plus tard, c’est au tour de toutes les Arméniennes (femmes, jeunes filles, enfants) ainsi que les enfants restants qui doivent abandonner leurs domiciles. Commence alors une marche de la mort où conversions forcées, viols souvent jusqu’à ce que mort s’ensuive, tortures, enlèvements, ventes sur les marchés d’esclaves, massacres… ne cessent de se suivre. Aurora est séparée une première fois de sa famille, enlevée par les Kurdes et offerte à Kemal Effendi. Elle parvient à lui échapper en se jetant dans un fleuve et à rejoindre la longue marche des déportés et sa famille. Sa sœur Loussine meurt poignardée par un zaptié (officier de gendarmerie). Aurora parviendra à s’échapper encore trois autres fois mais tous les membres de sa famille ont péri. Quand enfin elle parviendra à rejoindre les Russes, elle n’a plus qu’une idée : venir en aide à son peuple. Le général Andranik, grand chef et héros arménien, l’envoie aux États-Unis pour qu’elle y témoigne et obtienne nourriture et argent pour les survivants.
Apocalypse Arménie est le livre le plus terrible que j’ai lu. Tout d’abord parce que rien n’est édulcoré et que tout est malheureusement vrai et prouvé malgré le refus du gouvernement turc de reconnaître le génocide. Le témoignage d’Aurora est d’une puissance rare et c’est un “miracle” qu’elle ait pu traverser les horreurs qu’elle a vécues sans y laisser sa raison. Il est impressionnant de voir qu’elle a pu conserver sa foi intacte et même rendre grâce à Dieu pour sa délivrance malgré toutes ses souffrances lors d’une dédicace.
Apocalypse Arménie devrait être lu par une majorité parce que nous avons un devoir de mémoire. J’aimerais dire « pour que plus jamais ça » mais malheureusement, l’Histoire nous a appris que depuis le génocide arménien, bien d’autres se sont produits encore : Amérindiens, Aborigènes d’Australie, Rwandais en Afrique, Chinois, Juifs, Russes, Cambodgiens, Tibétains, Ukrainiens, Soudanais, Kurdes… et j’ai bien peur que cette liste ne soit pas exhaustive. N’apprendrons-nous jamais rien ?
Alors oui, ce livre fait mal, il risque de vous choquer, de heurter votre sensibilité, mais certainement moins que si vous l’aviez vécu vous-même.
April 1, 2019
Written by a young Armenian Christian woman who escaped Turkish bondage and emigrated to the United States, this firsthand account of the 1915-1918 extermination of her people by Turkish citizens and soldiers brings into focus the horrors Aurora Mardiganian experienced in her homeland, among those being: armed Turks entering an Armenian town, immediately rounding up and murdering all the men, and then selecting and abducting the fairest of the women and girls as young as 10, raping them or selling them to the highest bidders or both. As if that wasn't traumatic enough, they were also being forced into denial of Christ and conversion to Islam; a significant percentage refused and thereby suffered the worst of deaths, including crucifixion. Save us, Lord, from man's inhumanity to man.
Dehumanization visited upon large groups of ethnic, racial or religious people is a brand of intolerance that has been part of the human experience since the beginning of time but to know that it still continues in the 20th and 21st century, despite advancements of civilization, is a sad indictment. Most recently it has been soldiers of Daesh bringing the same horrors to the Kurdish Yazidi people.
For almost a century after the Armenian massacres, much of the international community would not even acknowledge a Genocide had occurred. But the tide slowly changed. As of the year 2019, twenty-nine+ of the world's nations have officially issued condemnations of the Young Turk government of 1915-1918 for deporting, enslaving, torturing and killing 1.5 to 2 million Armenians in an effort to ethnically and religiously cleanse the Turkish nation.
Dehumanization visited upon large groups of ethnic, racial or religious people is a brand of intolerance that has been part of the human experience since the beginning of time but to know that it still continues in the 20th and 21st century, despite advancements of civilization, is a sad indictment. Most recently it has been soldiers of Daesh bringing the same horrors to the Kurdish Yazidi people.
For almost a century after the Armenian massacres, much of the international community would not even acknowledge a Genocide had occurred. But the tide slowly changed. As of the year 2019, twenty-nine+ of the world's nations have officially issued condemnations of the Young Turk government of 1915-1918 for deporting, enslaving, torturing and killing 1.5 to 2 million Armenians in an effort to ethnically and religiously cleanse the Turkish nation.
March 10, 2021
It was a difficult read, a really harrowing account of the brutality of Turks and Kurds upon the gentle race of Armenians as part of unacknowledged Armenian genocide during WWI. Nothing much has since changed in that God forsaken place as is evident from the recent Yazidi massacrers. It’s so depressing to see that how these religious ideologies turn human beings into beast and in fact make them behave worse than animals. There are incidents captured in this disturbing tale which are beyond the imagination of a sane person but then religious fanaticism knows no bounds and can push anybody to the depths of depravity. Nothing seems to be working against this kind of Islamic extremism, same sordid tale is being repeated even after 100 years in Syria against Yazidis or against Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir who just like Armenians were pushed out of their ancient homelands. Same merciless killings were noticed in Bangladesh where 2 million Hindus were summarily executed just because they belonged to a different ideology. Time has come to eradicate this menace of religious fanaticism from human society so that humans can finally live in harmony with each other and not cut each other throats over petty differences like which ‘god' to follow or which ‘book’ to read.
Read
September 14, 2017人怎麼能允許這樣的事情發生？
神怎麼能允許這樣的事情發生？
我不知道問題的答案，但是歐蘿拉並沒有問這個問題。在經歷被撕碎、被玷污、姦殺後，她的表態是：
我不知道如果我要拒絕接受伊斯蘭的教義，這個卡勒法會對我做什麼。我害怕最終的懲罰會是被處死，或是立刻送到公娼寮，但是我不能讓自己在相信基督這麼長的時間還背棄祂。我問祂我該怎麼做，然後祂的回應臨到我，就像當時在迪雅巴克爾，我幾乎就要舉起刀衝出石堆時，那樣的清晰和直接。我彷彿看到了羅本神父，而且我幾乎可以感覺到他的手再次放在我的肩上，就像當時他對我說：「永遠要相信上帝，對祂保有信心。」的時候那樣。我告訴卡勒法，我不能背棄耶穌基督。 P187
她對神沒有疑問，而是完全地相信。中途她雖然曾經被迫念出伊斯蘭教歸信文幾次，然而她總是仍不止息地向耶穌祈禱，她心裡深知道她屬基督。她永遠屬基督。
這本書裡面大多是記敘文，很少講到耶穌與她的互動，然而從她的決定和舉動，我能輕而易舉地看出她對耶穌的忠誠和信實，願神大大祝福亞美尼亞人！🇦🇲
最後，我還想說，縱然我不知道為什麼神允許這樣的事情發生，我卻知道神絕對不會忘記這500000被羞辱在地裡的鮮血哭嚎的聲音。祂記得，祂永遠記得。
我曾經不在意這段歷史，而現在我不會忘記這個族群的辛酸血淚！
神怎麼能允許這樣的事情發生？
我不知道問題的答案，但是歐蘿拉並沒有問這個問題。在經歷被撕碎、被玷污、姦殺後，她的表態是：
我不知道如果我要拒絕接受伊斯蘭的教義，這個卡勒法會對我做什麼。我害怕最終的懲罰會是被處死，或是立刻送到公娼寮，但是我不能讓自己在相信基督這麼長的時間還背棄祂。我問祂我該怎麼做，然後祂的回應臨到我，就像當時在迪雅巴克爾，我幾乎就要舉起刀衝出石堆時，那樣的清晰和直接。我彷彿看到了羅本神父，而且我幾乎可以感覺到他的手再次放在我的肩上，就像當時他對我說：「永遠要相信上帝，對祂保有信心。」的時候那樣。我告訴卡勒法，我不能背棄耶穌基督。 P187
她對神沒有疑問，而是完全地相信。中途她雖然曾經被迫念出伊斯蘭教歸信文幾次，然而她總是仍不止息地向耶穌祈禱，她心裡深知道她屬基督。她永遠屬基督。
這本書裡面大多是記敘文，很少講到耶穌與她的互動，然而從她的決定和舉動，我能輕而易舉地看出她對耶穌的忠誠和信實，願神大大祝福亞美尼亞人！🇦🇲
最後，我還想說，縱然我不知道為什麼神允許這樣的事情發生，我卻知道神絕對不會忘記這500000被羞辱在地裡的鮮血哭嚎的聲音。祂記得，祂永遠記得。
我曾經不在意這段歷史，而現在我不會忘記這個族群的辛酸血淚！
June 1, 2015
I was ignorant about this time period and event in history. The 100 year anniversary is coming soon so I thought it good to know something. This is a detailed story of one girls life through the horror of it. Kindle version is a bit poor and not much detail as to why or what brought it about. Atrocities abound and that anyone survived is by the grace of God alone.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews