Title: Destiny of Dreams: Time Is Dear
Author: Cathy Burnham Martin
Genre: Family Saga Fiction, Saga Fiction, Historical Fiction
Book Blurb:
What happens when an American girl of Eurasian descent finds herself suddenly immersed in all facets of her Armenian ancestry? Told with an often soulfully introspective voice, “Destiny of Dreams” follows the true story of a teenager and her grandfather, retracing loving, learning, and terrifying footprints of the past. While survival remains center stage, love and courage must emerge, or all will be both lost and forgotten. More fact than fiction, the author reveals her Armenian roots in this historical novel, chronicling her family members’ love, strength, and resolve to both survive and thrive in treacherous times. Reflecting the traumas suffered by all people displaced from their original homelands, this Armenian story focuses on one family’s challenge to find light in the dark days of the waning Ottoman Empire. Anyone with the diaspora in their family heritage will relate. Whether thinking of Jewish people from Israel, Africans scattered through slavery, Armenians fleeing annihilation in Turkey, so-called boat people escaping Asia, or Syrians fleeing life-threatening violence in their own nation, humans continue to rise up in the face of the toughest times. Who would emerge from extraordinarily desperate places, and how could they choose to set positive examples of humanity during highly inhumane times? Set in the early 1900s and flashing forward to the 1960s, the story’s themes ring with tolerance and intolerance, dreams and destroyers, family and friends, amidst challenges that eerily parallel life in current judgmental scenarios. Written for Young Adult and Adult audiences, the book contains some explicit descriptions and a couple of disturbing, though not graphic, violent scenes. While not gratuitous, the depictions may be unsuitable for young readers.
My Review:
A powerful book written in a fashion that grips the reader. The reader is transfixed by the storyline. The storyline isn't fanciful, it is reality. The sheer horror of the story told in this book should give every person pause. That the people of Armenia were the subject of genocide in 1915 by the Turks is not in question. The horrible genocidal conduct of one group against another because of religious differences is abhorrent.
This book presents that dark period of history in a creative fashion. Set 50 years or so after those crimes, this book brings them to light through dreams. Extremely well written, the harrowing tale flows. Every reader will be hard-pressed to get through the brutal details without feeling it in their soul.
That today the city of Van is filled with people not of Armenian descent is the stark example of how 'effective' Turkish genocide was. Raw and accurate, this book is important. If anyone doesn't fully understand what happened in Armenia from 1915 to 1917 must read this book. I would love to have every Turkish person read this book aloud to their children every night for a month.
Trigger warning: Stark and grimly accurate descriptions of genocidal behavior could be harmful to people with issues.
My Rating: 5 stars
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Author Biography:
Author Cathy Burnham Martin’s eclectic career path wove through recruiting, communications, television broadcasting, management, and bank organizing. An active board member and community volunteer, she received Easter Seals' David P. Goodwin Lifetime Commitment Award. This professional voiceover artist, journalist, corporate communications geek, and dedicated foodie earned numerous broadcasting awards as a television news anchor. She wrote, produced, and hosted dozens of groundbreaking documentaries, TV specials, and news reports, ranging from the Moscow Superpower Summit and the opening of the Berlin Wall to extensive coverage of New Hampshire's First-in-the-Nation Presidential Primaries.
Some of her most challenging work includes news stories behind the Iron Curtain under the scrutiny of foreign military personnel touting loaded AK-47's. While she met and interviewed Presidents and candidates, other interviews ranged from inventor Dean Kamen, best-selling authors Og Mandino and Richard Lederer, and StarTrek originator Gene Roddenberry to Popcorn icon Orville Redenbacher, Boston Pops conductor Arthur Fiedler, superstar New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme, and filmmaker Ken Burns.
Among little-known facts about Cathy? She once sang with The Beach Boys and the marvelous Marvelettes, shared a dressing room with Ella Fitzgerald, and emceed for Tony Bennett. She also performed on stage with comedian Adam Sandler, actor Dan Lauria, and director Alek Keshishian.
Dubbed The Morale Booster, this 20-year professional member of the National Speakers Association remains a business speaker, media coach, and member of the Actors Equity Association. Cathy Burnham Martin narrates her books and those of other authors. Audiobooks appear on such sites as Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. In addition to fiction, nonfiction, and cookbooks, Cathy writes articles for the GoodLiving123.com website.
Social Media Links:
Website http://goodliving123.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/QuietThunder
Reviewed by: Mr. N