Book Review: Orhan's Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian

Hello, Fellow Book Worms,

   I have just finished a novel that not only entertained me, but also made me think about my life and my truths. We are all descendants of storytellers, and are told about life in the days before we are brought into this world. We let our fresh brains absorb the “truths” that we are told. We grow up holding onto our beliefs like a child’s safety blanket. This is because (in my opinion) we fear that deep down the “truth” had a bit more substance than we were led to believe. In the story of Orhan’s Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian we are introduced to a man, Orhan, who has suffered much for his beliefs, and soon uncovers a web of lies that he had based his life on.

  Aline Ohanesian’s first novel is a triumphant blend of history and fiction, as she unfolds the story of a family forged from a devastating war in the early part of the Twentieth Century. I have always been one to love researching history, and sometimes I am drawn to a history that some people wish to forget. The brutality of our world’s history is relevant even today as people are still at odds against those they do not understand, or have been led to hate due to society or their upbringing. As we pass the years away, our lifestyles may change, but prejudice and fear seem to cling to the human race like gum to a shoe. In this novel I was introduced to a part of history that I had heard of, but never took the time to look into: the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923. Many different sides to this story are portrayed in this novel, which I appreciated. Ohanesian was careful to factually present the event with taste, and with heart-breaking realism. She even has the descendant of  one of the character’s present an art exhibition in an nursing home that had many survivors as residents. Through the eyes of these characters we see a different time and culture spread before us like a lavish banquet for the eyes.

  In 1990, in the Turkish city of Sivas, an elderly man is found dead in one of the many dye vats he uses in his textile business. He leaves a will that mystifies his relatives. In it he leaves everything to his grandson, Orhan, and the family home to an elderly woman living in Los Angeles, California. Orhan’s father is enraged. His Aunt Fatma is silent. His father threatens to contest the will. Orhan embarks on a journey to America to visit the woman, Seda, who is a resident in the Ararat Home for the Aging. There, he confronts the old woman with his demand his family's home not become hers. But he comes to realize that she holds the key to unlocking his family’s and country’s many secrets.

  This novel is sweeping, epic, and spans the years from 1915 to 1990. It embraces the core values that every family wishes to achieve, but also shows that not every life progresses as we wish it to. I found myself emotional during this novel. The story of the families affected by the Armenian Genocide are worthy of a box of tissues, and a shoulder to cry on. I was swept up in their struggles, and raged inside as everything that they built was stolen from them in the most brutal of manner. As the people walked to their deaths, I walked with them, wishing that I could feed them or relieve their parched tongues. But one thing always was present in my heart during this ordeal they suffered, hope. The amazing courage of the characters of this novel is miraculous. To rise from the ashes of such devastation bears the message that we all can overcome that which brings us down.

  I want to thank Aline Ohanesian for this six year labor of love that she has printed and has put on our bookshelves. It is, in my opinion, one of the best novels of the year. When I can emerge from a book wanting to be a better human being, you know that the author has done very well to convey her narrative.

  I give Orhan’s Inheritance five stars out of five. I highly recommend this book.

  I also want to thank Assaf Cohen, for skillfully narrating Orhan’s Inheritance in the audio book version of which I also used.

Because there is always time to read,
Xepherus3

Website: http://www.xepherusstudios.com/
At Twitter at: https://twitter.com/XepherusStudios

At Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/XepherusStudios

At Goodreads at: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/11975160-xepherus3

All written content (c) Copyright 2015 by Thomas Bahr II