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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Orhan's grandfather dies in a mysterious way and leaves a mysterious will. He leaves nothing to his own son but he leaves his business to his grandson, Orhan. To make matters worse, he leaves his house to a mysterious woman no one has ever heard of. Orhan travels to Los Angeles in search of this woman. He finds her and a fascinating story unfolds. The story that involves not only his family history but the history of the political unrest in Turkey.
This would be a good book for a book club. There are so many ideas that could prompt a lively discussion. All in all, I quite liked it.
This would be a good book for a book club. There are so many ideas that could prompt a lively discussion. All in all, I quite liked it.
Graphic, brutal, and honest storytelling but a lot of the themes and general narrative styling feels like its been done before and done better. Recently, there's been a lot more media about generational trauma so perhaps that's why the themes feel a bit overdone. However, its exploration of the Armenian genocide through both the lens of a survivor and a Turkish perspective was fresh and compelling.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
What a great read. The author wrote so vividly that I travelled back in time to an era unknown to me. I knew little about the Armenian genocide but am now interested in reading more about this tragic period in time.
This is definitely an above average book, but I can't put it on the same level as some of my other four-starers.
The premise is great but not handled very well, especially toward the end.
Personally, I hated her; but books with characters that I really hate usually get four or five stars. She was enough to ruin the entire book for me. I was mainly confused by her. I wanted answers, examples, illustrations, but Ohanesian seems like she doesn't even know what she's trying to say.
What's all this about a museum? What does the art exhibit mean? How has Orhan grown throughout the story?
But alas, good books are often ruined with terrible half-assed endings. I guess the authors just get tired or something. That definitely seems to be what happened to Ohanesian on this one.
The rest of the book is spectacular, definitely up to my four-star standard. Too bad she gave up before it was over.
This book is worth reading, but go ahead and skip the last two chapters. You'll just be confused by them. The book is like one of the tapestries in the story: every separate strand working together to make a beautiful work of art, all seeming to lead to a single end result, then BLAM! The cat comes in and vomits all over it. It's ruined.
The premise is great but not handled very well, especially toward the end.
Spoiler
The worst part is toward the end. That nasty little niece could have been torn apart and fed to the vultures, but she wasn't. When I read it, I wasn't even sure of the purpose she served. Was she supposed to be a negative character that couldn't let go of her stupid shoulder chip from a past that didn't even belong to her? Or was she the heroic teacher who showed Orhan the right way to deal with the hard truths of history.Personally, I hated her; but books with characters that I really hate usually get four or five stars. She was enough to ruin the entire book for me. I was mainly confused by her. I wanted answers, examples, illustrations, but Ohanesian seems like she doesn't even know what she's trying to say.
What's all this about a museum? What does the art exhibit mean? How has Orhan grown throughout the story?
But alas, good books are often ruined with terrible half-assed endings. I guess the authors just get tired or something. That definitely seems to be what happened to Ohanesian on this one.
The rest of the book is spectacular, definitely up to my four-star standard. Too bad she gave up before it was over.
This book is worth reading, but go ahead and skip the last two chapters. You'll just be confused by them. The book is like one of the tapestries in the story: every separate strand working together to make a beautiful work of art, all seeming to lead to a single end result, then BLAM! The cat comes in and vomits all over it. It's ruined.
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this. I was hooked onto the story from the get-go. The descriptions were breathtaking and painted a clear picture of the surroundings, and the emotions and despair of the characters were very palpable through the pages. Definitely a book that will stay with me for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, War
Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence
A page-turning story that was so beautifully written I read passages aloud to my husband. The story of a young man, the grandson of a famous kilim rug maker who inherits his empire after his death. A story of Armenian genocide by Muslim Turks. A story from over a hundred years ago that feels as relevant today as ever. A story of all the good ingredients of historical fiction: family, love, roots, secrets and the real events that ruined peoples lives.
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Recently read Aline Ohanesian's beautiful, heartbreaking novel, Orhan's Inheritance. I knew nothing about the Armenian Genocide before I read it, nothing about that part of the world and the conflicts there. I recommend it highly.