Four years in the mountains of Kurdistan, 1915-1919 : an Armenian boy's memoir of survival

Four Years In The Mountains Of Kurdistan Is A Remarkable First-hand Account By Aram Haigaz, An Armenian Author And Youthful Survivor Of The Armenian Genocide Of 1915. This Memoir Has Been Made Available In English In Time For National Publicity Surrounding The 100th Anniversary Of The Armenian Genocide. Armenian Aram Haigaz Was Only 15 When He Lost His Father, Brothers, Many Relatives And Neighbors, All Killed Or Dead Of Starvation When Enemy Soldiers Surrounded Their Village. He And His Mother Were Put Into A Forced March And Deportation Of Armenians Into The Turkish Desert, Part Of The Systematic Destruction Of The Largely Christian Armenian Population In 1915 By The Ottoman Empire. His Mother Urged Aram To Convert To Islam In Order To Survive, And On The Fourth Day Of The March, A Turk Agreed To Take This Young Convert Into His Household. Aram Spent Four Long Years Living As A Slave, Servant And Shepherd Among Kurdish Tribes, Slowly Gaining His Captors' Trust.^ He Grew From A Boy To A Man In These Years And His Narrative Offers Readers A Remarkable Coming Of Age Story As Well As A Valuable Eyewitness To History. Haigaz Was Able To Escape To The United States In 1921. Aram Haigaz Was The Pen Name Of Aram Chekenian, An Armenian-american Writer Who Was Born In The Town Of Shabin Karahisar, Turkey. He Was A Young Boy When His Birthplace Was Attacked, And His First Book, The Fall Of The Aerie, Published In An English Translation In 1935, Is Often Cited By Scholars And Historians For Its Eyewitness Details. Although He Lived In America For Much Of His Life, Mr. Chekenian, The Author Of Ten Books In Total As Well As Numerous Articles And Essays, Chose To Write In Armenian.^ Translated From The Armenian Language To The English By His Daughter, Iris Haigaz Chekenian, Four Years In The Mountains Of Kurdistan Is The Tale Of One Young Man's Struggle To Survive, While Also A Rich And Compelling Narrative Of Life Within A Little Known Ancient Society And Tribal Culture. - Publisher. An Extraordinary Coming-of-age Story And Survival Story Of An Armenian Teenager Forced To Live In A Tribal Culture Among Kurdish Peasants And Turkish Beys. He Rose From Infidel Servant To Trusted Secretary And Escaped Captivity, The Only Person In His Adoptive Tribe Who Could Read And Write. Translations From Armenian -- Introduction -- Characters -- Our Cross, 1915 -- My First Master -- Life As A Shepherd -- A New Home, 1916 -- Crime And Punishment -- A Hero Falls, 1917 -- To Bey Punar, 1918 -- The Last Year, 1918-1919 -- About The Author -- Facts About Armenia -- Turkey In World War I -- Glossary And Definitions. Aram Haigaz ; English Translation By Iris H. Chekenian. Originally Published In Armenian In 1972. The Armenian Language Edition Of This Book Was The Recipient Of The Kevork Melidinetsi Literary Award, Armenian Catholicosate Of Cilicia, Antelias, Lebanon "Four Year in the Mountains of Kurdistan by Aram Haigaz is an extraordinary coming-of-age story - and survival story - of an Armenian teenager forced to live in a tribal culture among Kurdish peasand and Turkish beys. He rose from 'infidel' servant to trusted secretary and escaped captivity, the only person in his adoptive tribe who could read and write. Armenian Aram Haigaz was only 15 when he lost his father, brothers, relatives and fellow townspeople in a month-long attack by the military forces of the Ottoman Turkish government. He and his mother were put on a forced march toward the Syrian desert without food, water or shelter, as part of the systematic plan to annihilate the Christian Armenian population of Turkey in 1915. His mother urged Aram to convert to Islam in order to survice, after which a Turkish bey agreed to take the young onvert into his household. Aram spent four long years living as a Muslim servant and shepherd among Kurdish tribes in the rugged mountain terrain, slowly gaining his captors' trust. He grew from a boy to a man in these years, and his narrative offers readers a fascinating story of resilience and a unique eyewitness to history. Haigaz ultimately escaped and canme to the United States in 1921." --Front cover Originally published in Armenian in 1972. Armenian Aram Haigaz was only 15 when he lost his father, brothers, many relatives and neighbors, all killed or dead of starvation when enemy soldiers surrounded their village. He and his mother were put into a forced march and deportation of Armenians into the Turkish desert, part of the systematic destruction of the largely Christian Armenian population in 1915 by the Ottoman Empire. His mother urged Aram to convert to Islam in order to survive, and on the fourth day of the march, a Turk agreed to take this young convert into his household. Aram spent four long years living as a slave, servant and shepherd among Kurdish tribes, slowly gaining his captors trust. He grew from a boy to a man in these years and his narrative offers readers a remarkable coming of age story as well as a valuable eyewitness to history. Haigaz was able to escape to the United States in 1921."