Aram's Notebook - by Maria Àngels Anglada (Paperback)

About the Book

"A mother and son's fictional journey to escape the Armenian Genocide and start anew. Like any other fifteen-year-old boy, Aram might never have written the events of his still young life, except that he found himself suddenly plunged into exile, fleeing certain death. In 1915, the Ottoman authorities undertook the wholesale extermination of the Armenian people; hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children like Aram suffered one of the twentieth century's most savage persecutions. Inspired by the plight of the murdered modernist poet Daniel Varoujan (1884-1915), this novel follows Aram and his widowed mother on their flight toward a new life on - and under - the sea. From recollections of his father's meditations on Homer to a life-changing apprenticeship as a coral fisherman off the coasts of Cataluäna and Marseille, Aram's tale dives into a future that might help redeem a harrowing past. Aram's Notebook examines the Armenian Genocide through a narrative in which poets and poetry loom large. Aram's tale evokes a struggle not simply for physical survival, but for saving memory from the clutches of destruction"--

Book Synopsis

A mother and son's fictional journey to escape the Armenian Genocide and start anew.

Like any other fifteen-year-old boy, Aram might never have written the events of his still young life, except that he found himself suddenly plunged into exile, fleeing certain death. In 1915, the Ottoman authorities undertook the wholesale extermination of the Armenian people; hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children like Aram suffered one of the twentieth century's most savage persecutions. Inspired by the plight of the murdered modernist poet Daniel Varoujan (1884-1915), this novel follows Aram and his widowed mother on their flight toward a new life on--and under--the sea. From recollections of his father's meditations on Homer to a life-changing apprenticeship as a coral fisherman off the coasts of Cataluña and Marseille, Aram's tale dives into a future that might help redeem a harrowing past. Aram's Notebook examines the Armenian Genocide through a narrative in which poets and poetry loom large. Aram's tale evokes a struggle not simply for physical survival, but for saving memory from the clutches of destruction. Evocatively translated from the original Catalan by Ara Merjian.

Review Quotes

"Maria Àngels Anglada's novel is remarkably well-researched, from its account of the contemporary press to the plight of refugees. This historical detail never overwhelms the human story at the heart of this compelling book, set against the horrors of the Armenian genocide." -- "Ara Sarafian, director of the Gomidas Institute and leading authority on the history of the Armenian genocide"

"Aram's Notebook is a young boy's fictional diary about the Armenian genocide and has found its ideal translator in Ara H. Merjian. Along with The Violin of Auschwitz, this short novel establishes Anglada's well-deserved status in world literature."-- "Joan Ramon Resina, professor of Iberian and Latin American cultures and comparative literature at Stanford University, author of Barcelona's Vocation of Modernity: Rise and Decline of an Urban Image"

"Maria Àngels Anglada masterfully narrates survival through one of history's most devastating genocides. Ara H. Merjian's deft translation of Aram's Notebook underscores the profound truth of this widely readable and impactful novel: that despite our differences, we share a common humanity at our core."-- "Amara Lakhous, professor in the Practice, Department of Italian Studies at Yale University, and author of Clash of Civilizations over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio"

"The Catalan writer Maria Àngels Anglada reminds me again of how stories regarding the Armenian genocide in current times of ongoing wars and mass migration will find their tellers, and not always in expected places or languages. This book is an important contribution to world letters and the recounting of early twentieth-century history for future generations of readers."-- "Micheline Aharonian Marcom, professor of creative writing at University of Virginia, author of DREAMer"

About the Author

Maria Àngels Anglada (1930-99) was a prestigious twentieth-century Catalan writer. Her books include Les closes, The Violin of Auschwitz, and A Night. Ara H. Merjian is an art historian and professor of Italian Studies at New York University. He is the author and translator of numerous books.