Burning Orchards

Explore the controversial events leading up to the Armenian rebellion of 1915 in Gurgen Mahari's Burning Orchards. This epic novel takes place in the Ottoman city of Van and offers a unique perspective on the loyalty many Ottoman Armenians felt towards their former empire. Mahari's characters are complex and flawed, evoked with a tender sense of humor. Originally published in Armenian in 1966, the novel was banned and publicly burned in the streets of Yerevan. Rediscover this brilliant work, epic in scope and masterful in its depiction of the cruel displacement of an ancient people from their historic homeland.