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lediamond4's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
A harrowing story of a man's escape from likely death in an interment camp during the Armenian genocide. Dawn Anahid MacKeen seamlessly weaves her grandfather Stepan's story with her own, as she journeys alone through Turkey and Syria, following in his footsteps, to meet some of the people who aided him along his way.
I read this for my "Around the World" challenge in which I attempt to read a book from every around the world. There are two specific rules for this challenge that I try to adhere to. 1). The book must take place at least mostly in the specific country and 2). I would love for the author to be from the country, at the very least, spend a good part of their lives living there. I have had to make a few exceptions so far and this was one of them. While a good chunk of the book took place in Armenia and had great historical context of the effects that World War had on the people there, the author herself was not from Armenia. Nevertheless, I was satisfied with how she told her grandfather's story and provided so much cultural and historical details.
I read this for my "Around the World" challenge in which I attempt to read a book from every around the world. There are two specific rules for this challenge that I try to adhere to. 1). The book must take place at least mostly in the specific country and 2). I would love for the author to be from the country, at the very least, spend a good part of their lives living there. I have had to make a few exceptions so far and this was one of them. While a good chunk of the book took place in Armenia and had great historical context of the effects that World War had on the people there, the author herself was not from Armenia. Nevertheless, I was satisfied with how she told her grandfather's story and provided so much cultural and historical details.
amandae129's review against another edition
5.0
An important book at any time, but even more so in the current political climate. Following in the footsteps of her grandfather, author Dawn Anahid MacKeen travels through Turkey and Syria where the Armenian Genocide occurred during World War I. Alternating her story in present day is his story in the nineteen-teens, taken from his diaries and other research she had done. Reading his story is not always easy, particularly since the torture descriptions are vivid, but the truth is worth a little discomfort for the reader. Brilliantly written and very highly recommended.
misspalah's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0
“I thought of the turn of events i’d been through to get to this place - moving home to Los Angeles; finding my grandfather's journals, a discovery that felt like he was calling me; crossing the border alone. I also thought of the Turks I'd met along the way: the two women who shampooed my hair at the Kilis hamam and the nice Bolvadin taxi driver who had invited me to his relative's wedding despite my ethnicity, despite what he'd been taught about the Armenians. At one point, Hala's son Omar told me that when his extended family had first learned I was coming, theyd thought I was in need, like my grandfather. It was their tradition, the twenty-seven-year-old explained, to help someone in crisis. They would feed me, shelter me, whatever I required to make me whole. They had welcomed both me and my grandfather in this same spirit, both of us strangers, with different ethnicities, languages, and cultural beliefs. "A friend of the clan will not be asked what religion he embraces," one of the villagers later explained. "Religion is for God; the homeland is for all."
- One Family - The Hundred Year Walk : An Armenian Odyssey by Dawn Anahid McKeen
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The Hundred-Year Walk: An Armenian Odyssey offers an extensively researched portrayal of the Armenian Genocide and its aftermath as seen through the experiences by Stepan Miskjian which is the author’s grandfather. The book will not come to its fruition if the author’s mother give up on searching for any personal notes or diaries left behind by his father. Those notes together with some published materials in the library managed to present a deeply personal perspective on the sufferings endured by the Armenian people during this tragic historical period. The author worked together with an Armenian community around the neighbourhood to translate and also shared their input in order to complete this sort of historical investigation. The book managed to fully recount her grandfather's harrowing journey through the Ottoman Empire during that dark time . Through both Miskjian's story and Mckeen’s journey to trace back the his past, readers are transported to the heart of the Armenian experience, from the initial deportations and death marches to the struggles for survival and eventual resettlement in America. I know that not many people enjoy memoir or autobiography but this book is so evocative in its storytelling. The author managed to narrate Miskjian's experiences to life with rich detail, capturing the fear, pain, and resilience of the Armenian people in the face of genocide. Her writing is engaging and empathetic that allow readers like us to connect with the suffering endured by Miskjian and others. Ultimately, The book sheds light on a dark chapter of history of the Armenian Genocide that is often overlooked and denied. By amplifying the voices of those who lived through the genocide, she ensures that their stories are not forgotten and that future generations will remember the atrocities committed against the Armenians. Overall, this book serves as a testament to the importance of bearing witness , preserving memory and emphasizing the importance of acknowledging historical truths to prevent similar atrocities from occurring in the future. If you have never heard about The Armenian Genocide and would like to learn more about it, i think this is the right book to start with.
rachelmerry_'s review against another edition
5.0
There is so much I could say about this book. The amount of work alone that it took to gather the interviews, journal entries, and facts is incredible. And the story itself is almost unbelievable—both because of the cruelty humanity is capable of committing but also because of its resilience in the face of such cruelty. I will remember Stepan’s story for a long time, I felt both his devastation and his joy so strongly. And I think it is so special how his granddaughter retraced his steps and was able to meet so many descendants of people who were key to his survival. It took a little while into the book for Dawn’s story, Stepan’s story, and the history sections to stop feeling disjointed, but everything came together really well in the end.
momreaderh's review against another edition
4.0
What I liked: this book opened my eyes to something everyone should know about, that I had only heard of very briefly in passing and never really thought about. What I didn't like: I really just didn't care much for so much back and forth between the time of the grandpa's experience and the author's own experience. I would have preferred less of that. This book did open my eyes to something new, and I couldn't get over the irony of German officers being concerned about what was going on, given what the Germans themselves were about to unleash on the world.
sophiewoz's review against another edition
4.0
i actually loved the breaking up of stepan’s story with dawn’s. it was deeply moving