Forbidden Homeland
In the book Forbidden Homeland: Story of a Diasporan, author Katia Tavitian Karageuzian shares her experience in solving mysteries concerning her family history rooted in the Armenian Genocide and the Karabakh Conflict. As an immigrant born in Lebanon, Karageuzian describes her discovery of long-lost relatives that she knew nothing about. This snowballs into almost a decade’s search for the involvement of America in Armenia and the generational trauma that was inherited as a result of this conflict. Furthermore, she exposes injustices still continuing in the ongoing wars in Transcaucasia, including withholding aid for Armenians starving in Artsakh.
This book has a rich history of geopolitics and most ‘superpower’ countries’ political roles outside their country. It shows that foreign policy affects people in traumatic ways worldwide if misused. Furthermore, the book articulates so much resiliency, generational trauma, and crimes against humanity that occurred, which are not talked about in many forums or books. It is written very vividly, which evokes emotion from the reader to research and familiarize themselves with everyday politics and policies.
One of the most chilling accounts she described was the feeling that her sister and she were being watched while waiting in front of Hotel Al Bustan in the middle of a sandstorm, and the statement, “Practically every Armenian family has a Genocide story because practically every Armenian is the descendant of a Genocide survivor.” The book is truly a five-star read. Its title is befitting because, as an immigrant, Karageuzian is extremely emotional and factual about the homeland that was always forbidden and forgotten. She also includes pictures of her homeland and her relatives to show life before and after the war.
Forbidden Homeland: Story of a Diasporan is an emotionally charged memoir examining the author’s family’s history and heritage. With heartbreaking and thought-provoking stories, this biography will give readers much to think about and reflect on.
Pages: 386 | ASIN : B0BPMV4TNX
Posted on February 28, 2023, in Book Reviews, Five Stars and tagged author, biographies, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, ebook, family, Forbidden Homeland, goodreads, history, indie author, Katia Tavitian Karageuzian, kindle, kobo, literature, memoirs, middle east, nook, novel, read, reader, reading, story, true story, Turkey History, writer, writing. Bookmark the permalink. 1 Comment.
LITERARY TITAN 
Thank you so much Literary Titan. This is amazing! What I like most about this book is that it is often becoming a conversation starter, where people are sharing similar backgrounds and challenges that made them migrate to this great country. Readers are also saying that it is educating them about the conflicts in Transcaucasia, as well as the history of the region.