Chris Bohjalian's novel, The Sandcastle Girls, has been chosen as the 2017 One Book, One San Diego selection. One Book, One San Diego is
community-wide reading program, &
includes more than 20 community partners. Started in 2006 by KPBS, along
with the San Diego Public Library, the program encourages everyone in
the region to read and discuss the same book.
The Sandcastle Girls,
is Bohjalian's 15th book. The story travels between Aleppo, Syria in 1915, and Bronxville, New York in
2012. The story follows Elizabeth
Endicott, who arrives in Syria, with
a crash course in nursing, and only the most basic grasp of the
Armenian language. The First World War is spreading across Europe, and
she has volunteered on behalf of the Boston-based Friends of Armenia to
deliver food and medical aid to refugees of the Armenian genocide. Elizabeth becomes friendly with Armen, a young Armenian engineer
who has already lost his wife and infant daughter. Armen leaves
Aleppo to join the British Army in Egypt, writes Elizabeth
letters, and comes to realize that he has fallen in love with her.
Flash forward to the present, where we meet Laura Petrosian, a
novelist living in suburban New York. Laura never gave her Armenian heritage much thought. But, when an old
friend calls claiming to have seen a newspaper photo of Laura’s
grandmother promoting an exhibit at a Boston museum, Laura embarks on a
journey back through her family’s history that reveals love, loss, and a
wrenching secret that has been buried for generations.
KPBS will be having multiple One Book, One San Diego events, held throughout San Diego County, related to the One Book selection. Events will include films, reading groups, discussions, and more. Chris Bohjalian will be making two appearances for events, one on Tuesday,
Sept. 12th, and one on Wednesday, Sept. 13th. KPBS
will be giving away 300 copies of Bohjalian’s book at the inaugural San Diego
Festival of Books, which will be held at Liberty Station on Saturday, Aug. 26th.
Chris Bohjalian will be at the California Center for the Arts on Tuesday, September 12, 2017 at
7 p.m. for the first kick-off event. This is a FREE event, but RSVP is required. This will be an evening of literary and cultural enrichment, including
a presentation by Chris Bohjalian, a special performance, and Armenian
refreshments. Books will be for sale and the author will be available for signings.
Bohjalian's second appearance will be at the San Diego Central Library on Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at
7 p.m. As with the earlier event, this is a FREE event, but RSVP is required. This will be an evening of literary and cultural enrichment, including
a presentation by Chris Bohjalian, a special performance, and Armenian
refreshments. Books will be for sale and the author will be available for signings.
Additional Information Here:
https://sandiegoliteraryscene.blogspot.com/2017/07/one-book-one-san-diego-finalists.html
https://sandiegoliteraryscene.blogspot.com/2017/02/san-diego-gets-new-book-festival.html
http://chrisbohjalian.com/the-sandcastle-girls/#
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2017/aug/01/sandcastle-girls-chris-bohjalian-tops-206-titles-b/
http://www.kpbs.org/events/2017/sep/12/one-book-north-county-kickoff-event-chris-bohjalia/?et=80916
http://www.kpbs.org/events/2017/sep/13/one-book-san-diego-kickoff-event-chris-bohjalian/?et=80917
https://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/news-events/onebook
