Orhan's Inheritance

“Orhan’s Inheritance is a book with a mission, giving a voice to history’s silent victims . . . Orhan’s Inheritance is itself a lament disguised as a romance, a narrative in which the reclamation of a family home, the weaves of carpets, even the scent of a handkerchief come to represent a private version of a much larger historical tragedy. ‘All of life, Orhan realizes, is a story within a story; how we choose to listen and which words we choose to speak makes all the difference.’ It is this realization that will finally be Orhan’s grandfather’s greatest legacy.” —New York Times Book Review

“Rich, tragic, compelling, and realized with deep care and insight.” —Elle

“Orhan’s Inheritance illuminates human nature while portraying a devastating time in history . . . A remarkable debut novel that exhibits an impressive grasp of history as well as narrative intensity and vivid prose. It moves back and forth with confidence between the 1990s and 1915 . . . Her book is enriching on many levels, with a core theme common in literary fiction: ‘What matters is not what the world does to you, but how you respond.’ ” —Minneapolis Star Tribune

“At turns both subtle and transcendent, Orhan’s Inheritance will speak to those familiar with this dark chapter of history, and will be equally appealing readers who want to linger quietly in unfamiliar places and hidden stories of love and family.” —Los Angeles Review of Books 

“Successful as a family novel, Orhan's Inheritance is equally successful at relaying the difficulty of bearing witness and of hearing that testimony, as well as the emotional and psychological consequences for the descendants of survivors and perpetrators alike.”—Colorado Springs Independent

“[A] beautifully written book about a horrific era rendered readable by a supremely talented author.” —The Book Reporter

“A beautifully written narrative, which was wise, mature, and cognizant of its making . . . Ohanesian’s novel challenges our expectations through a meticulously executed formula that simultaneously feeds and subverts paradigms of the genocide’s cultural narrative . . . a brave novel that offers a unique literary rendering of the genocide and its aftermath.” —Asbarez Armenian Daily

“[An] impressive debut novel . . . Such sorrow in Ohanesian’s hands is not a heavy burden for the reader. Through the beauty and humanity of her central characters, the story transcends suffering . . . ‘A white day sheds light; a dark day sheds darkness,’ Orhan tells Seda on his first visit. Ohanesian’s novel is that ‘white day.’ ” —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Unforgettable . . . Drawing on the stories her Armenian great-grandmother told her, Ohanesian brings to life a painful, tragic history unfamiliar to most Americans.” —Library Journal, Editor’s Pick

“Ohanesian’s heartrending debut chronicles the painful odyssey of one family against the broader backdrop of the Armenian genocide . . . Ohanesian does a remarkable job of conveying the weight and the influence of time and place without excusing or excluding the human dimension that necessarily factors into the unfolding cataclysm.” —Booklist

“A harrowing tale of unimaginable sacrifice . . . A novel that delves into the darkest corners of human history and emerges with a tenuous sense of hope.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“A stunning exploration of how choosing to remember--and to forget--can shape an individual, a family and an entire people . . . Ohanesian moves seamlessly between the present day and Seda's guarded recollections of her history, to relay an emotional and at times horrific story of the Armenian genocide a century ago. Seda's story--the story of a struggle and the suppression of an entire people--is full of pain and heartbreak, but Orhan's Inheritance proves the power of storytelling to reveal beauty and truth in the most unexpected of places.” —Shelf Awareness for Readers

“Aline Ohanesian draws from her family’s own dark history to create a tender, powerful story of love and reclamation. Orhan’s Inheritance is a breathtaking and expansive work of historical fiction and proof that the past can sometimes rewrite the future.” —Christina Baker Kline, author of Orphan Train

“To take the tumultuous history of Turks and Armenians in the early part of this century, and to tell the stories of families and lovers from the small everyday moments of life to the terrible journeys of death, to make a novel so engrossing and keep us awake--that is an accomplishment, and Aline Ohanesian's first novel is such a wonderful accomplishment. ” —Susan Straight, author of Highwire Moon

“An impressive debut . . . [Ohanesian’s] portrayal of this period of Turkish/Armenian history is spot-on, and most readers of historical fiction will enjoy the novel. Book groups in particular will find that its complex themes, centering on important topics such as memory and forgetting, what makes a family, and the desperate actions one may need to take to survive in adversity, will likely lend themselves to lively discussion.” —BookBrowse

“An irresistible debut novel about first love, ancient betrayal, secrets within secrets, missing parents, war crimes, and ambiguous morality . . . In this multigenerational page turner of an epic saga, Ohanesian bears witness to atrocities even as her characters’ descendants work towards redemption.” —The Christian Science Monitor

“Readers who were moved by the work of Carol Edgarian, Mark Mustian, and Nancy Kricorian will appreciate the historical authenticity and passion that Aline Ohanesian brings to this story of the Armenian Genocide. Orhan’s Inheritance is heartfelt and sincere.” —Chris Bohjalian, author of The Sandcastle Girls

“From its first startling image, Orhan's Inheritance will seep under your skin and leave an indelible mark upon your heart. What lucky readers we are to inherit Aline Ohanesian's gorgeous work.” —Gayle Brandeis, author of Delta Girls

“Orhan's Inheritance is a remarkable debut from an important new voice. It tells us things we thought we knew and shows us we had no idea. Beautiful and terrible and, finally, indelible.” —Luis Alberto Urrea, author of Queen of America