Customer Reviews

Zabelle

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I thought this book was excellent. As I was reading it, I thought about my grandmother, and how close she came to dying in the Syrian desert. What made it especially meaningful was that the town Zabelle grows up in is the one my family is from - it is now gone. I wish everyone could read this book, as it is a compelling tale of a major event that no one seems to know, or care, much about.

THe minute I started reading "Zabelle" all I could think of was what happens to her next. What a remarkable lady what a beautiful life story. I am so glad Nancy Krikorian decided to narrate her life so all of us could share and in someways make "Zabelle" a part of our lives forever. If Nancy Krikorian's goal was to eternalize "Zabelle", well I think it worked, whoever gets the opportunity to read this Novel will never forget Zabelle and each time they remember her their faces will light up with a smile becasue durig those few moments each and everyone of us went back in time and re-lived the life, hardship and joy of our ancestors.

Zabelle is really an amazing story. I am a Bulgarian-Armenian American teenager growing up in Washington, but the story of Zabelle was really touching. Zabelle is a character that transcends time and space, and hers is a story that was shared by many other Armenian American women coming to the New World after the Genocide of 1915. My favorite episode from Zabelle was when she quarelled with her mother-in-law, the domineering Vartanoush Chahasbanian. Really, a domineering mother-in-law is one of those things that Armenians all over the world know about. The story of Zabelle is truly one of the best novels on Armenian American women, and perhaps the only one currently available, that spoke to me directly and Ms. Kricorian did an excellent job of making the words speak for themselves. I enjoyed reading this book greatly and it encourages me to read other books about Armenian Americans. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Talk about a page turner! I have no Armenian background, and I read this book in a day. Not only did I learn a lot about another culture, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching Zabelle as she made the most of the cards that were dealt to her. Kricorian's narrative is so descriptive and realistic, it was easy to feel it was all true. (Was it??) It also made me pause as I thought of today's Eastern European refugees...

Our Armenian literature is so sadly based in the horrors of the genocide. Understandably so. However, this novel was refreshingly kind to the reader in allowing us to follow Zabelle's life as a survivor of the horrors. This book allows the reader to laugh and live with Zabelle, who survived the unspeakable. Author is very approachable. Although we had never met, after sending her a letter praising her book, she personally responded. Any book tours to SF planned?

I loved this book! Zabelle is an inspiration to us all. An orphaned survivor of the Armenian Genocide, this amazing woman never loses her dignity, her strength, or her sense of humor. This book is not only about surviving oppression. It's about rebuilding one's life in a new country (Zabelle marries an Armenian grocer and moves from Constantinople to Watertown, Massachusetts). It's about coping with an overbearing mother-in-law. It's about unrequited love. And it's about finding one's center through family, friends, and community. Nancy Kricorian's wonderfully crafted story will remind you what's important in life. It will also make you laugh, cry, and wish you were Armenian.

This is a wonderful book - easy, quick to read and keeps one's interest all the way through. I was so enthralled with this book that I immediately started looking for other books written by Kricorian. She is a fantastic writer.

I read the book in 2 days. I grew up in Watertown, MA and still live here. I can relate to the story, the street names,the places and the Armenian culture. Nancy Kricorian describes everything in detail about the town and the people. I even found myself driving by the house on Walnut and Lincoln streets. Great Book.

I've read every Armenian holocaust memior, fiction and non-fiction, that I can get my hands on. I loved this book. I liked Edgarian's "Rise the Euphtates" better, but they are very different books. " Zabelle" is not as dark and at times somewhat humerous and the very last chapter rapped the whole thing up with a tear stained bow. I thought it accurately depicted the importance of great friendships. I recommend this book to anyone who is serious about the ficton they read.

A thoroughly satisfying tale of a woman, a friendship, a family, and the fascinating Armenian community of Watertown, MA. As a poet, Kricorian crafts sensuous phrases to savor and remember; fortunately for the reader she also tells a terrific story. I couldn't put the book down and read it too fast, but will be thinking about this story and its characters for quite some time.