The Aussie Zombie

Hands up who's heard of the Amernian genocide during World War I? I certainly hadn't, so when I learnt that Chris Bohjalian's newest book drew from both his own Armenian background, and the Armenian genocide, it instantly had my attention.

Told in alternating POVs and across two timeframes, The Sandcastle Girls is set in 1915 Syria and 2012 USA, as an author seeks more information on her grandparents, Armenian Armen and Bostonian Elizabeth and the atrocities of the Armenian genocide, something that was hinted at, but never spoken openly about. Unexpectedly, there is also a dip into the horrific failure of the 1915 Gallipoli campaign that really hit home with me as an Australian.

This is a gripping, emotional, intense read that took me on a journey through a part of history that I, ignorantly, know very little about. The writing is languid yet intense, and sympathetically tells a shocking story, whilst encompassing a love story that seems improbable but is completely believable.

The characters are so varied, yet so connected to each other that there was not a single POV that I didn't enjoy as much as the others - from the main characters through to the damaged girl, Hatoum, the German engineers, the outwardly calm yet inwardly broken Nevart - all were vivid, realistic characters.

The Sandcastle Girls is certainly not a book for the light-hearted, and there were times I literally had to step away from it to stop my emotions boiling over - the plight of the Armenians is incredibly heartbreaking and at times gruesome. This is a book that will stick with me for a long, long time, and if you have any interest in this subject at all, I can highly recommend The Sandcastle Girls.

Read more of my reviews at The Aussie Zombie