Customer Reviews

The Knock at the Door: A Journey through the Darkness of the Armenian Genocide

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The Knock at the Door is an amazing book that chronicles a horrible part of history endured by Ester, a young Armenian woman, in the early 1900's. Normally, it would be very difficult to read of such atrocities. However, the author, who is also Ester's daughter, has filled this story with love, while giving us a close look at some very difficult and personal events in her courageous mother's life. In the book, Ester says that she doesn't know why she was chosen to survive the Armenian genocide when so many others died. Perhaps it was so that she would give birth to a talented daughter who would have the courage to write a human story of this hidden history for the world to read. It occurred to me, as I was reading The Knock at the Door, that the last time I read a book about such a dark story that was filled with such great love, was Frank McCourt's "Angela's Ashes. The Knock at the Door is a powerful book tells an important historical tale in a very interesting way and I highly recommend it.

This is one of those rare books of historical exegesis that so draws you in, it is almost impossible to put down. Margaret Ahnert opens up a neglected moment in history, one that has haunted her family since she was born. For near a century the Armenian genocide in Turkey has been told through dry statistics and to my knowledge this is the first book that emboldens the atrocities by using the vehicle of a single victim, the author's mother, who tells her the story of what happened to her in Turkey when she was 15 years old. And do we get drawn into the life of this whip of a child as she endures a death march through Turkey. While older people perish early on, Ester slips out of carts full of doomed people, gives herself to lusty Turks who abuse and rape her, and performs slave labor of all kinds in return for a stay of execution. In fact, she does anything in order to survive. Ester's story is retold by her daughter with lyricism and irony. Her eye is a camera, unrolling every quirky detail rather than slipping into maudlin generalizations.
Ahnert is bound to become the center of heated controversy:the Turks rabidly deny that they engaged in ethnic cleansing of their Armenian population and have been known to step up to fight anyone who says differently. Until now, we have had little reason to disagree with them; after all you have to see, hear, experience a phenomenon before it takes on the color of reality. Margaret Ahnert has done that -- and in the process, validated the chronicle of Armenian history. This is a beautiful and engrossing book.

There are plenty of books which grapple with the ills of humanity. But what renders this book so touching and rare, is the time it took Margaret Ahnert to gather the story, organize the tales of an old woman - her adored mother, and allow it to warm and educate the reader. Time, not in the hours of completing the book-writing task, but instead the decades of devotion listening to her mother speak her story. I could imagine the New York afternoons with Ester telling Margaret about her youth - interspersed with the daily life of the grandchildren, the house, business, etc. What tedious joy it must have been for Margaret; taking notes, luring out the evil, yet delighting in those stories which build a life. What a strong old gal Ester was. And what a great daughter is Margaret to know it and have the insight to write such a personal tale of family love and worldly politics. Bravo.

The writer tells an incredible story about her mother's unbelievable ability to survive the horrors of genocide and human abuse, yet guide her life into a loving marriage and new life in America. Her mother's recount of the details and feelings she had throughout the horrors of a death march and then near-slavery are so real that you find yourself visualizing every moment she describes to the point you think you are there and often think you can hear the screams or laughter or even taste the food she describes.

Ms. Ahnert's writing style captures you immediately and you do not want to put the book down for a moment. The way she moves from conversation with her mother to smoothly taking you alongside her mother in Turkey, back to New York or Ellis Island and back to Turkey.

The book reveals a deep first hand human experience of genocide but keeps you involved and always admiring if not in awe of her mother's wonderful wit, wisdom, humor,perseverance, philosophy, love including a very clear deep love for her daughter - the writer - Margaret Ahnert.

We have been very touched by this book and will share it with many of our friends and family.

Margaret Ahnert's "The Knock at the Door" is a very personal and touching tribute and remembrance of her mother, who suffered through but survived the Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Turks in 1915. That her reading and book signing in New York City was disrupted by Turkish naysayers is testimony to the power and significance of her work. The charming mother/daughter story juxtaposed with the vivid retelling of the Armenian tragedy makes for an interesting read while providing a striking picture of one family's fate at the hands of the Turks. Recommended!

Once I started reading it was impossible to stop. The story is so deep with details that transports you into the time of the events. I was so compelled by the author's mother's struggle to survive this atrocity, but her faith and courage made her overcome all the obstacles to reach her dreams. Let this be a lesson to us about acknowledging all crimes against ethnic groups that are still happening around the world and we just turn our heads and look the other way. I encourage everyone to read this book.

"The Knock at the Door," is a moving story beautifully told, by a devoted daughter who wanted to record her mother's unbelievable suvival.
Beverlee Trepp,
Stuart Florida

Ms. Ajemian Ahnert made a disclaimer: this riveting, horrifying, and almost unbearable to read account is based on her mother Ester's experiences, which she recorded and edited over a period of many years. Well, her account of those time is consistent with everything else I've read on the Armenian Genocide in Turkey. Indeed, some of the atrocities she recounts were familiar to me.

Though I am not Armenian, the plight of the Christian peoples of the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey--the indigenous peoples of those regions--are dear to me. Let the truth be known!

This book is a riveting narrative and guaranteed to keep you up all night. You'll feel no ill effects!

A wonderfully written book about resilience and survival, about coming of age and ageing. It also deals with lose and moving forward and the importance of family. A throughly "good" read.

In my view, this short book is must reading. With little specific knowledge of Armenia and Armenians, but curious about what really happened, I opened this book slightly fearing that it might be just more dry, tired history. How wrong! This is a beautifully expressed oriental tapestry of perspectives on life. The talented author skillfully weaves together both a moving journal about her visits to her aging mother (think "Tuesdays with Ester") and the shocking, vivid reality of what it takes for an entire people not just to survive but to prevail. Best book I've read in years.