Island Books is pleased to welcome Aida Kouyoumjian, reading from the newly-released second edition of Between the Two Rivers. The real-life story of her mother Mannig, who as a young girl was among a minority of Armenians who survived massacre and deportation at the hands of the Ottoman Empire during and after World War I, is more compelling than ever, supplemented by new maps and improved photos.
After the murder of their parents, Mannig and her sister made tortuous journeys through the desert to the streets of Mosul, Iraq. Reunited in an orphanage, their new bond was threatened by Mannig’s love for a wealthy philanthropist. “It is oral history,” the author says. “I call it ‘creative nonfiction.’ Every scene in the book is a factual story she told us. I heard the stories so many times in so many different ways, in lullabies and folk tales. Every chapter has a line, a quote or a paragraph that I remember word for word. All that remained was to make them flow—the smells,
the sights, how it came about.”
The past is brought to life by the book and especially by Aida Kouyoumjian’s presence. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet this vivifying speaker and hear her family’s saga.