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Florida Times-Union, FL
July 22 2012
Book Review: 'Sandcastle Girls' a story of love, world history and the
human condition
Connection with the characters makes epic journey worth the trip
By Brandy Hilboldt Allport
In this novel told through flashbacks that range from 1915 to 2012,
author Chris Bohjalian relates a story of love, world history and the
human condition. These topics give birth to words on book jacket
blurbs such as `spell binding,' `sweeping' and `epic.' Such labels and
the literary concepts themselves are often too big. Readers of these
tales can never make an intimate connection with the characters or
find purchase to hang on for the journey. This is decidedly not the
case in `The Sandcastle Girls.'
Bohjalian deftly widens a telescopic lens to encompass the `Meds
Yeghern,' or `Great Calamity' of the Armenian genocide and then
narrows it so that readers focus on the characters and join them in
their passage through the story.
First, there is Laura Petrosian, a novelist who lives in the suburbs
of New York. She decides to research the history of her Armenian
heritage to make sense of her grandparents' past. It is a past, into
which she has vivid but disjointed glimpses. Laura uncovers a family
secret during her research. Next, there is Petrosian's grandmother,
Elizabeth. It is around Elizabeth's humanitarian efforts that the
flashbacks to 1915 revolve. Elizabeth, a Mount Holyoke College
graduate travels with her father to Aleppo, Syria, on behalf of the
Boston-based Friends of Armenia. Elizabeth soon meets Armen, an
engineer who has lost his wife and daughter. Because of Bohjalian's
writing style, which never rings a false note as it moves from
present-day New York to the tragedy of World War I, his characters are
as real as our own relatives. The well-researched history that forms
the background informs, intrigues and enchants - even as recollections
of horror mount.
Chris Bohjalian lives in Vermont with his wife and daughter.
`Sandcastle' is his 15th book. His titles include New York Times
best-sellers `The Double Bind,' `The Night Strangers' and `Skeletons
at the Feast.' His novel, `Midwives,' garnered the No. 1 spot on the
New York Times list and was an Oprah's Book Club selection.
http://jacksonville.com/entertainment/literature/2012-07-22/story/book-review-sandcastle-girls-story-love-world-history-and
From: A. Papazian
July 22 2012
Book Review: 'Sandcastle Girls' a story of love, world history and the
human condition
Connection with the characters makes epic journey worth the trip
By Brandy Hilboldt Allport
In this novel told through flashbacks that range from 1915 to 2012,
author Chris Bohjalian relates a story of love, world history and the
human condition. These topics give birth to words on book jacket
blurbs such as `spell binding,' `sweeping' and `epic.' Such labels and
the literary concepts themselves are often too big. Readers of these
tales can never make an intimate connection with the characters or
find purchase to hang on for the journey. This is decidedly not the
case in `The Sandcastle Girls.'
Bohjalian deftly widens a telescopic lens to encompass the `Meds
Yeghern,' or `Great Calamity' of the Armenian genocide and then
narrows it so that readers focus on the characters and join them in
their passage through the story.
First, there is Laura Petrosian, a novelist who lives in the suburbs
of New York. She decides to research the history of her Armenian
heritage to make sense of her grandparents' past. It is a past, into
which she has vivid but disjointed glimpses. Laura uncovers a family
secret during her research. Next, there is Petrosian's grandmother,
Elizabeth. It is around Elizabeth's humanitarian efforts that the
flashbacks to 1915 revolve. Elizabeth, a Mount Holyoke College
graduate travels with her father to Aleppo, Syria, on behalf of the
Boston-based Friends of Armenia. Elizabeth soon meets Armen, an
engineer who has lost his wife and daughter. Because of Bohjalian's
writing style, which never rings a false note as it moves from
present-day New York to the tragedy of World War I, his characters are
as real as our own relatives. The well-researched history that forms
the background informs, intrigues and enchants - even as recollections
of horror mount.
Chris Bohjalian lives in Vermont with his wife and daughter.
`Sandcastle' is his 15th book. His titles include New York Times
best-sellers `The Double Bind,' `The Night Strangers' and `Skeletons
at the Feast.' His novel, `Midwives,' garnered the No. 1 spot on the
New York Times list and was an Oprah's Book Club selection.
http://jacksonville.com/entertainment/literature/2012-07-22/story/book-review-sandcastle-girls-story-love-world-history-and
From: A. Papazian