ANC, Bohjalian Kick off ‘The Sandcastle Girls’ National Book Tour

LOS ANGELES—Hundreds of Armenian Americans from the LA area welcomed New York Times Best-Selling Author Chris Bohjalian as he joined with the Armenian National Committee (ANC) Grassroots Film and the Arts Committee, the Genocide Education Project, and Doubleday Books in launching the national tour for his latest novel The Sandcastle Girls.

Adrin Nazarian, on behalf of City Councilman Paul Krekorian, and City Controller Wendy Greuel present Bohjalian with a city proclamation.

“We have seen incredible enthusiasm here in the LA area and in communities across the country in anticipation of the July 17 publication of Bohjalian’s epic on the Armenian Genocide,” said ANCA Western Region Co-Chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq. “Chris’s presentation today, like his book, was engaging and inspiring—guaranteed to serve as a starting point for discussions about the Armenian Genocide and genocide prevention the world over.”

Community members purchased hundreds of copies of the book and stood in line to meet the author and have them signed prior to the official book presentation. Hovsepian welcomed attendees and cited the important role that works like The Sandcastle Girls play in educating mainstream America about the Armenian Genocide and the consequences of genocide denial. Those remarks were echoed by Adrin Nazarian and LA City Controller Wendy Greuel, upon presentation of a proclamation by LA Councilman Paul Krekorian welcoming Bohjalian and the publication of his masterpiece.

Nora Yacoubian, the chair of ANC Grassroots Film and the Arts Committee, was eloquent in her introduction of Bohjalian, highlighting the ANC’s commitment to supporting education about the Armenian Genocide and Armenian American concerns through the arts. “By sponsoring this event as its maiden voyage into a social, cultural, and political environment, it [the Film and Arts Committee] intends to develop and set a very high standard for projects to come.” Yacoubian praised The Sandcastle Girls, describing it as “one of those books you cannot put down. Moveover, it becomes a book that will permanently be etched in the virtual library of your memory.”

Bohjalian who was met with a standing ovation at the end of this remarks, was riveting as he discussed the life journey that inspired him to write this book and gave moving testament of his visits to the lands of his Armenian ancestors, to current-day Armenia, and to Anjar, Lebanon, the home of those who fought to defend the villages of Musa Dagh during the genocide.

Among the elected officials at the special kick-off luncheon were Glendale City Councilman Raffy Manoukian, Glendale City Clerk Ardashes Kassakhian, Glendale Unified School District Board Member Greg Krikorian, LA City Controller Wendy Greuel, and LA City Councilman Paul Krekorian’s chief of staff, Adrin Nazarian. Nazarian and Krikorian are candidates for the California State Assembly in the 46th and 43rd districts respectively.

Special Guests at the book launch included Republic of Armenia Parliamentarian Aghvan Vartanian, His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church–Western USA, Armenian Weekly Editor Khatchig Mouradian, and Asbarez English Section Editor Ara Khachatourian.

The complete roster of events across the country is available online at www.chrisbohjalian.com/events.

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