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Like Water on Stone
Author:
Walrath, Dana
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Class:
Fiction
Age: 14-19
Language: English
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LC: PZ7.5
Grade: 9-12
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ISBN-13: 9780385743976
LCCN: 2013026323
Imprint: Delacorte Press
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Pub Date: 11/11/2014
Availability: Out of Stock Indefinitely
List: $16.99
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Hardcover
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Physical Description:
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353 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.
H 8.5",
W 5.88",
D 1.13",
1.075 lbs.
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LC Series:
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Brodart Sources:
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Brodart's Insight Catalog: Teen
Brodart's TOP Young Adult Titles
Brodart's YA Reads for Adults
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Bibliographies:
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Middle and Junior High Core Collection, 12th ed.
Middle and Junior High Core Collection, 13th ed.
Middle and Junior High Core Collection, 14th ed.
Middle and Junior High Core Collection, 15th ed.
Young Adult Fiction Core Collection, 4th ed.
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Awards:
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Horn Book Guide Titles, Rated 1 - 4
Notable Books for a Global Society
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
Publishers Weekly Starred Reviews
School Library Journal Starred Reviews
VOYA's Poetry Picks
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Starred Reviews:
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Publishers Weekly
School Library Journal
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TIPS Subjects:
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Historical Fiction
Family Life
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BISAC Subjects: |
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Historical / Asia
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Family / Siblings
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Historical / Holocaust
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LC Subjects:
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Armenian Genocide, 1915-1923, Fiction
Armenian Genocide, 1915-1923, Juvenile fiction
Armenian massacres, 1915-1923, Fiction
Armenian massacres, 1915-1923, Juvenile fiction
Armenians, Turkey, Fiction
Armenians, Turkey, Juvenile fiction
Brothers and sisters, Fiction
Brothers and sisters, Juvenile fiction
Genocide, Fiction
Genocide, Juvenile fiction
Novels in verse
Turkey, History, Ottoman Empire, 1288-1918, Fiction
Turkey, History, Ottoman Empire, 1288-1918, Juvenile fiction
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SEARS Subjects: |
Armenian massacres, 1915-1923, Fiction
Armenians, Turkey, Fiction
Genocide, Fiction
Siblings, Fiction
Turkey, History, Fiction
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Reading Programs: |
Accelerated Reader Level:
4.2
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Points: 3.0
Lexile Level:
720
Reading Counts Level:
6.4
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Points: 8.0
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| Annotations |
| Brodart's TOP Young Adult Titles | 11/01/2014 |
| A watchful eagle accompanies Shahen, who wants to move to New York; his love-struck twin sister, Sosi, who longs to stay at home; and their little sister in the wake of a vicious attack. Only Shahen knows that their parents are dead, and he intends to keep it that way. 368pp. |
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| Starred Reviews: |
| Publishers Weekly | 09/22/2014 |
| Ages 14-up. Divided into four devastating sections spanning five years, Walrath's debut vividly renders the atrocities of the Armenian genocide in the early 20th century, using multiple first-person narratives in delicate verse. After years of living peacefully as Christians with neighboring Muslims, Papa refuses to accept the worsening political realities his son, Shahen, recognizes until it's too late: "Papa so thick,/ so certain,/ so simple./ He lost three sons/ in one day:/ my brothers/ to soldiers,/ and me/ to a scarf and dress." Shahen, dressed as a girl, escapes into the mountains with his sisters Sosi and Mariam, guiding them through scenes of carnage as they leave behind their parents, family, and friends: " 'I've got you./ Hold on./ Keep them closed.'.... Up the bank/ past the bodies,/ heaps of them,/ bloated,/ cut open./ 'Just hold on./ Keep them closed.'" Ardziv, a compassionate eagle watching over the family and following the children, adds a touch of magical realism that softens the devastating images. A shocking tale of a bleak moment in history, told with stunning beauty. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. (Nov.). 368p. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, c2014. |
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| School Library Journal | 08/01/2014 |
| Gr 8 Up. Thirteen-year-old Aremenian twins Shahen and his sister, Sosi, live in the 1914 Ottoman Empire with their loving parents; younger sister, Miriam; and older brothers Misak and Kevorg. A Christian like the rest of their family, their 19-year-old sister, Anahid, is married to Asan, a Kurd, and is expecting a baby. Life is pleasant in their mixed religious community where their family makes its living as millers. However, when the cruel and hateful leaders of the Ottoman Empire decide at the start of World War I that the Armenians are "traitors" and should be eliminated, genocide ensues. Anahid is hidden by her in-laws at the risk of their own lives. Forced to leave their parents and brothers behind to certain death, Shahen, Sosi, and little Miriam barely escape and make a harrowing journey across the mountains, hoping for rescue and to somehow reach their uncle who lives in America. As Ardziv, an eagle, soars above, he adds a note of magical realism and a sense of omnipresent poetic narration to the authentic voices of the family members as he witnesses their joys, shock, and heartbreak. This beautiful, yet at times brutally vivid, historical verse novel will bring this horrifying, tragic period to life for astute, mature readers who enjoy books in this format or genre such as The Surrender Tree by Margarita Engle (Holt, 2008) and Between Shades of Gray by Ruth Sepetys (Philomel, 2011). A cast of characters, and author note with historical background are thoughtfully included. Diane P. Tuccillo, Poudre River Public Library District, CO. 368p. SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, c2014. |
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| Journal Reviews |
| BookPage | 11/01/2014 |
| Ages 14 and up.[. The Armenian genocide that took place 100 years ago is not discussed in most history classes, but the story is still sadly relevant. Told in verse, Like Water on Stone follows three Armenian children, orphaned by the Ottoman siege of 1915, as they race to safety and, hopefully, to America. Their path is littered with bodies, and they see the smoke of their neighbors' destroyed houses. Along the way, an eagle watches the young trio and does what he can to guide them and keep them safe. The eagle is a necessary character here, as a story this bleak needs a dose of magic to keep readers from despairing. The writing is stark and never shies from the realities of war: starvation, sexual assault, the desecration of the dead. Shahen, the only surviving son of his family, tries to protect his sisters while raging against their misfortune; in turn, they remind him of home and hope. Like Water on Stone isn't easy reading, nor should it be. It's a clear-eyed view of war and its brutal consequences. 368pg. BOOKPAGE, c2014. |
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| Booklist | 11/01/2014 |
| Grades 8-12. Hoping to stay ahead of rampaging Turks, twins Shahen and Sosi flee their home in Ottoman-ruled western Armenia in 1915 with little sister Mariam in tow. Shahen wonders bitterly how Papa could have insisted on clinging to their home so long, trusting that no harm could come to Armenian Christians. Now their family is being massacred, and the siblings have only a slim chance of reaching Aleppo, for a better chance of safety. Walrath's tale of the Armenian genocide strikes a unique, lyrical tone, written in readers'-theater-style verse. The three main characters have clearly identified passages, while a fourth character--the soaring, watchful eagle, Ardziv--assumes the role of narrator and offers a touch of magic realism. He is a guiding light and savior to the children along their escape. Readers will need to adjust to the style to follow the story, but they will be rewarded with a powerful tale balancing the graphic reality of genocide with a shining spirit of hope and bravery in young refugees coming to terms with their world. O'Malley, Anne. 368p. AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, c2014. |
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| Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books | 01/01/2015 |
| R. Gr. 9-12. Convinced of the essential goodness of his countrymen, the paterfamilias of the Armenian Christian Donabedian family ignores both history and the advice of relatives abroad and citizens at home to emigrate before the predicted and almost inevitable bloodbath that will be World War I. The situation soon deteriorates, and his oldest sons are taken away by Turkish soldiers and shot; his oldest daughter, married to a Kurd, is in dire danger; and the pleadings of his youngest son, Shahen, to move to America now have the clear ring of wisdom. When another band of soldiers arrives at the homestead, the parents make a horrifying self-sacrifice to give Shahen, his twin sister Sosi, and littlest child Mariam time to run. An exhausting and dangerous two-month trek leads them to Aleppo, where an Arab merchant hides them among his Muslim family until war's end and the long-hoped-for letter from America arrives, inviting them to join their uncle's family. The novel, written in verse, presents a steep learning curve for readers who have little background on the war and the Armenian genocide. The cast of characters at the front of the book and the glossary at the back, as well as an author's note, are lifelines for keeping track of personal names, foods, musical instruments, etc. Add to this the spare imagery of the poetry and the inclusion of an eagle that not only observes and comments on the action but also intervenes in the children's behalf, and readers have a challenging but moving experience ahead of them. Patience pays off, however, and the ensuing tale (inspired by Walrath's desire to reconstruct a chapter of her own family history) is both tragic and uplifting, a fitting contemporary successor to Bagdasarian's moving Forgotten Fire (BCCB 1/01). EB. 353p. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIV. OF ILLINOIS, c2015. |
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| Horn Book Guide | 11/01/2015 |
| 3. This unusual novel about the 1915 Armenian genocide is written in intricate verse and tempered by the magical realism of an eagle that helps three siblings during their escape from their village. Shahen (disguised as a girl), his twin sister, and younger sister flee after their family is killed, eventually making it to Syria. An excellent author's note and extensive resource lists are appended. Map. Glos. mg. 354pg. THE HORN BOOK, c2015. |
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| Kirkus Reviews | 10/01/2014 |
| This verse novel uses alternating narrators to document three siblings' flight from the 1915 Armenian genocide. The Donabedian family's Christian faith makes them a target of the Ottoman Empire's genocide. When violence erupts, the parents barely manage to create a diversion that allows three of their children to escape to the mountains. With meager food supplies and only vague directions on how to reach safety, the children's courage is tested. But unexpected sources provide help, most notably Ardziv, an eagle who both occasionally provides scavenged food and narrates events from his aerial perspective. This device does help illuminate the broad scale of the government's brutality, but Ardziv also complicates the question of the author's intended audience. While the novel's graphic violence lends itself to more mature readers, they may view the eagle's narration and assistance with skepticism. The verse is often powerful, especially in its use of repetition, but it does not provide the author with much textual opportunity to fully explain the nature of the ethnic and religious conflict. From a design perspective, it's unfortunate that the information provided on the opening map reveals that the siblings survive and make it to New York, which may diminish the novel's tension for many readers. The emotional impact these events had on individuals will certainly resonate, but understanding the conflict at large may still require supplemental reading. (Historical fiction. 14-18). 368pg. KIRKUS MEDIA LLC, c2014. |
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| ~VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates Magazine - Retired Journal) | 10/01/2014 |
| 4Q 4P J. In 1914, as the Ottoman Empire was crumbling, the pashas decided to kill all Armenians. Three-quarters of the population was killed, approximately 1.5 million men, women, and children. This verse novel describes the life of an Armenian family leading up to the genocide and the journey of three surviving children as they flee their home in search of a safe haven. This is a unique novel for many reasons. It is told in alternating voices, to great effect. Shahen Donabedian dreams of going to New York and is impatient with his Papa, who believes that their Kurdish and Turkish friends would never harm them. Sosi is falling for a boy in town and wants nothing more than to continue a traditional life in Palu. Through her the reader learns fascinating details about traditional Armenian food and weaving. Mariam is very young, but her childish voice is terribly poignant in its simplicity. The fourth narrator is Ardziv, an eagle who watches over the children on their dangerous trek. The eagle brings a touch of magical realism to the tale, as well as a glimmer of hope. This book is written in free verse, rather than traditional prose form. This unusual medium expresses the horrors of the Armenian genocide with precision and eloquence without overwhelming the reader. The author took chances with this book, and those chances paid off handsomely. This is an excellent novel, highly recommended for any library.--Heather Pittman. 368p. VOICE OF YOUTH ADVOCATES, c2014. |
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9780385743976,dl.it[0].title
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