Harkine Anleyan

Surviving The Invisible War Harkine Anleyan

In the spring of 1915, an official proclamation ordered the deportation of all Armenian citizens of the Ottoman Empire. Thus began the Armenian Genocide, an eight-year reign of terror that left over a million and a half dead and tens of thousands displaced. Thus begins the tale of nine-year-old Harkiné Anleyan of Adapazar, Turkey, and her intrepid family. Driven from their home, the constant threat of starvation and slaughter looming, Harkiné's family finally make their way to Greece, only to find the country at the brink of civil war. In an age of tumult and harsh restrictions, Harkiné grows into a sophisticated woman, catching the eye of numerous suitors, only to suffer further loss in the name of love. After Harkiné's death, her daughters chanced upon a hidden memoir penned in Armenian. Armed with an English-Armenian dictionary, the two set about to translate this coming of age tale loaded with courage and heartache.