2012 book 150

Chris Bohjalian's The Sandcastle Girls
Don't be fooled by the title--this is not a fluffy book where ladies drink cocktails and laugh and have romantic drama. It's about a fortysomething novelist writing the story of her grandparents--a Bostonian who accompanies her father on an aid trip to Aleppo in 1915, during the Armenian genocide, and the Armenian man she falls in love with. This back and forth between the past and the present makes it easier for Bohjalian to explain the historical context of a horrible event that most people don't know much about, and makes it not at all like a history lesson. The story of the protagonist-author's research, the story of the grandparents, and the stories of the other characters who come into play are all moving (and in some cases, tear-jerking). This is a great summer read for those who like meatier books--though it is about the genocide, it's much more about a few of the people involved, and frankly the scenes dealing with WWI are much more graphic, so don't be put off by the topic. I really hope this will be a hit--I loved it. A.

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An e-galley was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in July.