Today I am delighted to be sharing an excerpt from Who She Left Behind, the recently published novel from VICTORIA ATAMIAN WATERMAN, which is set in different decades of the 20th century and tells the lesser-known story of bravery and survival amongst the Armenian people.
Here, as well as the excerpt, you can find out more about the book, including where to buy it.
What is the book about?
“Who She Left Behind” is a captivating historical fiction novel that spans generations and delves into the emotional lives of its characters. Set in various time periods, from the declining days of the Ottoman Empire in Turkey in 1915 to the Armenian neighborhoods of Rhode Island and Massachusetts in the 1990s, the novel completely immerses its reader in a lesser-known era and the untold stories of the brave and resilient women who became the pillars of reconstructed communities after the Armenian Genocide.
It is a story of survival, motherhood, love, and redemption based on the recounted stories from the author’s own family history. The narrative is framed by a mysterious discovery made almost six decades later of a pair of Armenian dolls left at a gravesite.
Read an excerpt…
“Kachadoor, wait.”
Her heart was pounding, her breath half-stuck in her throat. In three days, she would belong to someone else. In three days, they would be surrounded by people who knew them. But now, here, under this infinite sky, cutting through the vast expanse of the sea, there was no one to stop her from being reckless, foolish, and utterly in love with a man she couldn’t have.
She took his arm and stretched herself up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “I like you, too. Too much.”
Her voice was breathless and impossibly young in her ears. He caught her cheek in his cupped palm and twined their free hands together. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers. Their breath mingled, floating out over the sea in little puffs. They stayed there so long that Victoria’s feet grew numb, but she would have flown if he’d asked her to.
Kachadoor sighed, a gentle, wistful sigh that coasted along Victoria’s skin; then he touched his lips to hers. It was a sweet kiss, full of longing and the special kind of regret that comes with unfulfilled wishes, and Victoria knew she would never forget it, not as long as she lived.
Book details
Who She Left Behind was published on October 17th 2023 by Historium Press.
It is available as an eBook and in hardback.
Buy links
Universal links:
Other links:
Amazon UK • Amazon US • Amazon CA • Amazon AU
About the author
Victoria Atamian Waterman
Victoria Atamian Waterman is an Armenian American storyteller and speaker who draws inspiration from the quirky multigenerational, multilingual home in which she was raised with her grandparents, survivors of the Armenian Genocide.
Her empowerment of today’s women and girls makes her voice ideal for telling the little-known stories of yesterday’s women leaders. Her TED Talk, “Today’s Girls are Tomorrow’s Leaders” has been seen by thousands of viewers. When she is not writing and speaking, she is reading, puzzle-making and volunteering.
Victoria lives in Rhode Island and is enjoying this next chapter of life with her husband, children, and grandchildren. “Who She Left Behind” is her first novel.
You can connect with Victoria on social media:
Website • Facebook • Facebook Author Page
LinkedIn • LinkedIn Author Page
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Thank you for hosting Victoria Atamian Waterman today, with a fascinating excerpt.
Take care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club