Customer Reviews

The Crimson Field

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Rosie Malek-Yonan's historical novel, The Crimson Field, has become a permanent bookmark as the most relevant literary work by an Assyrian author. Ms. Malek-Yonan has singularly placed the Assyrian Genocide under a giant spotlight. The Crimson Field is a landmark achievement for the Assyrian nation in that it has pulled the Assyrian identity out of obscurity and into the light. A nation long thought to be forgotten has comes to life through this masterful depiction of human violence and kindness. It is truth in its absolute form. After the author has taken you on a journey of grief and unimaginable loss, the reader is finally led to walk away with a clear message of optimism. I highly recommend this book not because I am an Assyrian, but mostly because The Crimson Field transcends race, nationality and color. It is about humanity, courage, love, determination and above all hope.

The Crimson Field is the most virtuous testimony of the 1914-1918 Assyrian Genocide. I have long searched for literature that would act as a bridge and connect me to the past. I spent many years of my life researching Assyrian history and speaking to Assyrian writers, poets and Politicians about the Genocide.

As I read the historical and literary epic novel, I could not get myself to put the book down. There were moments where I could not stop crying, and moments where my heart was filled with joy and pride for the Assyrian people. When I finished the book, I felt a rebirth of every Assyrian victim in the massacres within me. The Crimson Field incited me to create an entire music piece in a humble attempt to voice the long silent and hidden truth exposed today, on its pages.

The courage presented by author Rosie Malek-Yonan; in writing this book is the same courage displayed by the victims, when they were massacred. Today, she is their voice. She utters the truth; without any fear or justification. Through the Crimson Field, The massacres committed against the Assyrian Nation are being recognized by the world. I encourage everyone to stand by Rosie Malek-Yonan and hold The Crimson Field close to his/her heart as testimony to the massacres, in hope that the voices of the victims will be heard and the Assyrian land and people, protected. I also testify that all of the historic events delivered in this masterpiece have actually occurred and are absolutely genuine.

From a global perspective, The Crimson Field is also a great reference for those interested in understanding the roots of radical Islamic terrorism, the world is facing today. The Crimson Field demonstrates the acts of pure evil in which the United States faced; through the 911 attacks. Thus, those who committed the Assyrian Genocides carry the same banner as those who committed the 911 attacks. The Crimson Field truthfully displays the motives and missions of those who seek to destroy and kill anyone that does not follow their radical path.

The Crimson Field is a beam of light striking through a tunnel of bloodshed, rape and abuse of a Nation that was once; the cradle of civilization. The Crimson Field is a piercing and indisputable voice of those who can no longer speak for their human rights and those who are, until this day, afraid to ask for their human rights.

This is a great book which shows the extents of the crimes done to Assyrians during WWI by Moslems. Even today, Assyrians are being persecuted for their only crime is being Christians. History does repeat itself and I hope books like this would make people aware of the crimes done against humanity. This book is very well written, a great story. I would recommend this book to everyone especially Assyrians so they know more about happened during WWI.

There are not enough words to express the talent and extraordinary storytelling skills of Rosie Malek-Yonan. Her book and her family's story has been utterly educational and informative. What a discovery! This book is a thrilling read and very hard to put down. I am forever grateful to Ms. Malek-Yonan for her expertise, her fantastic writing skills and the knowledge/information/facts she has passed down to the world. I crave more of what Ms. Malek-Yonan has to teach me and all of us in the world.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Rosie Malek-Yonan is by far one of the most gifted writers of our time. The Crimson Field is a poetic and lyric depiction of the horrors of the Assyrian massacres of WWI. It is most engaging and completely draws you in. Ms. Malek-Yonan took me on an extraordinary journey into the hearts and minds of the Assyrian people as they struggled for survival while facing extermination at the hands of the Ottoman Turks.

I could not put the book down. I found myself intentionally reading each chapter slower because I didn't want it to end. There were times I had tears running down my face and my heart breaking and suddenly I would find my spirits lifted as I cried with joy as the resilience and determination of the Assyrian people. Ms. Malek-Yonan paints beautiful pictures with her lyric and poetic style of writing.

I sincerely recommend reading The Crimson Field. It's a journey well worth taking.

This book my have been one of the most difficult I have ever read. On the one hand, it is a perfectly straightforward presentation of events that occurred "long ago and far away." On the other hand, it is the true story of a family, a people and a nation as personified by the girl who would become the author's grandmother. There may be some who quibble with a date or an event but that misses the point: this book presents something deeper than mere dry facts. It describes the essence of things - truth isn't a one-time occurrence or even a string of occurrences. Truth is lived by real people who are authentic and pass that authenticity to the ones who follow them. Rosie Malek-Yonan has done that for the Assyrian people. There have been other terrible crimes committed against individuals and groups - perhaps there always will be. How the survivors deal with those crimes - and interpret those events to their descendants identifies their character as either virtuous or not. I read this book mid-way through a 21-month tour in Iraq with the State Department as an advisor to the Iraqi Ministries of Interior and Justice. The insights this book provided were most helpful. The events of the book happened 90 years ago. To many people of the region, that would seem like yesterday. Battles - won and lost - are still fresh in mind and the love and hatred of those events is passed on generation after generation. There are violent disputes going on today in this region over the outcome of this battle in 680 A.D. or that one in 1196. Exceptionally, many Assyrians have chosen a different path. 90 years after the death of 3 out of every 4 Assyrians through Kurdish assaults, famine, disease and exposure there are Assyrian doctors and nurses treating Kurdish sick, injured and elderly without regard to pass wrongs. Why the difference? Clearly their faith is a very large part. Rosie's book offers an additional explanation. Empowered, educated and involved women are the fundamental glue in a healthy society. The difference between the Assyrian culture and the Kurd, Turkish, Arab cultures around could not be more stark. The Assyrian women were the ones to nurture their loved ones, pick up the broken pieces and pass on the strength and values in spite of the atrocities inflicted on them and their families. They were not mere chattel for breeding or pleasure. Their strength did not depend on where they lived, what they ate or how they dressed. It was the depth of their character that made the difference. This is a hard book to read but well worth it.

Few people within the mainstream American culture even know the Assyrian people still exist. Fewer know anything about the Genocide perpetrated against them. Almost three million Assyrian, Armenian and Greek Christians were murdered by the Islamic Ottoman Turks during World War I because of their ethnicity and faith. The Crimson Field assigns faces and names to the victims of this dreadful chapter of history. It captures the plight of an Assyrian girl, helplessly caught up in the turmoil of her surroundings. Malek-Yonan's work shines a terrible light on an overlooked study of Islamic violence during the 20th Century. It is a must read for any person interested in learning about the personal cost of Islamic Jihad.

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Rosie is a personal friend, and this book is one of the most graphic portrayals of what happened to a small nation of people that most of the world has forgotten. It is an addictive read as well, as you will not be able to put it down.

The message of the Assyrian Safo must be told to the general public, and CRIMSON FIELD is the book that has the potential of doing that in a readable, edge-of-your-seat way. Read the book, many times if possible, and understand that what Rosie is writing is not just a story, but real history that happened. If there were any criticisms I would have about it, it would be that it hasn't been made into a motion picture yet because it would make a great epic film.

The Crimson Field is a compelling tale of a family who endured an unimaginable journey. Ms. Malek-Yonan does an excellent job combining the story of a brave group of individuals with the history of the genocide that the Assyrians experienced and endured. It intertwines both grueling details of what the Assyrians were subjected to as well as an emotional tale of love, loss, and and endless search for those lost in this tragedy. Ms. Malek-Yonan does a fantastic job narrating this story and even includes details of cultural aspects, values, and a commitment to identity unique to Assyrians. This is a very special book for Assyrians as well as those interested in the history of the Middle East and one of the oldest cultures which still exists today.

Richard A. Zoumalan MD
Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Beverly Hills, CA

This book is one of the few books that has personally touched me. The author has written a masterpiece: one that describes the horrors Assyrians encountered earlier in the 20th century. It is extremely well written and I applaude the author for a job well done.

I recommend this book to readers of all ages, interests, and religious beliefs. It will open your eye to a genocide that was once buried under our past---but only to be revisited again through this masterpiece.