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Coming in April 2025: Set in rural Armenia in the aftermath of war, Narine Abgaryan’s heartwarming short stories show people finding hope and purpose again.
Set in an Armenian mountain village immediately after the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the early 1990s, these thirty-one linked short stories trace the interconnected lives of villagers tending to their everyday tasks, engaging in quotidian squabbles, and celebrating small joys against a breathtaking landscape. Yet the setting, suspended in time and space, belies unspeakable tragedy: every character contends with an unbearable burden of loss. The war rages largely off the book’s pages, appearing only in fragmented flashbacks. Abgaryan’s stories focus on how, in the war’s aftermath, the survivors work, as individuals and as a community, to find a way forward. Written in Abgaryan’s signature style that weaves elements of Armenian folk tradition into her prose, these stories of community, courage, and resilience celebrate human life, where humor and love and hope prevail in unthinkable circumstances.
View Table of ContentsA masterful exploration of the human capacity for endurance and renewal in the face of profound loss. Narine Abgaryan’s storytelling is both tender and unyielding, offering readers a window into the lives of those who persist in the aftermath of tragedy. Through its vivid characters, lyrical prose, and universal themes, the book affirms the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of community.
The relentless sorrow of people living in the hills of Armenia during war cannot overcome their dignity and connectedness; their perseverance gives me hope for humanity. These stories, full of painful beauty, are difficult to get through, but well worth the effort. In spite of never having lived in a war zone, I feel a commonality with these far-away people that makes me wonder how anyone can really go to war.
