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Elma Hovanessian,
One Life, Three Cultures: An Iranian
Armenian Odyssey, (London: Taderon
Press, 2011), 222
pp, photographs, ISBN
978-1-90-3656-38-9,
paperback, GB£16.00/US$22.00.
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One Life, Three
Cultures: An Iranian-Armenian Odyssey is a collection of
memories of the author’s life starting with the premature death of
her father in 1936 when she was a child, through sweeter memories of
her grandparents’ home in New Julfa where she was immersed in their
wonderfully uncomplicated lives. The memoir weaves through the
family’s hardships during WWII and Iran’s occupation by the Allied
Forces. The next decade coincides with the author’s college years
when political turmoil, police presence on university campuses and
clashes with unarmed student demonstrators were frequent
occurrences. It is a tale of her life in England – where she
traveled as a student, visitor and temporary resident. And
ultimately, it is about the United States where her family settled
down in 1976, after leaving Iran at the peak of its prosperity,
unaware of the fact that it would soon collapse, followed by the
turmoil of renewed political conflicts. It is about the experience
of establishing new roots, while holding on to the old, of
gracefully embracing a new culture, while exploring new
possibilities to maintain and cultivate ancient traditions.
About the Author
Elma
Hovanessian was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. A graduate of
Tehran University, she majored in English literature and continued
her studies in creative writing in London and Los Angeles. She has
contributed to English language newspapers and magazines in Iran,
the United Kingdom, and the United States. She is the author of
Under the Blue Dome, a historical novel set in Iran.
Sample
Chapter (free
pdf download)
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