Rise the Euphrates

by Carol Edgarian

Book Overview

Intelligent and compassionate, this brilliant debut novel is at once unique and universal (Amy Tan). After witnessing the slaughter of her family and many of her people, a young Armenian woman emigrates to America, where she inadvertently infuses her only daughter with a crippling legacy of anger, shame, and a survivor's guilt.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679426019
• ISBN13: 9780679426011
• Release Date: March 1994
• Publisher: Random House (NY)
• Length: 370 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.6" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Praise for Edgarian, from her peers

I was extremely moved by this book, as were all my friends who read it, and I would like to share what Amy Tan, Robert Stone, and Rick Bass had to say about it: "Carol Edgarian is a remarkable writer of intelligence and compassion. She has written an important story that is at once unique and universal. In RISE THE EUPHRATES, history and personal story deftly intertwine to create a complex of emotions and questions about humanity, love, and family." -- AMY TAN "RISE THE EUPHRATES begins with vivid, chilling scenes from the Armenian holocaust, follows one of its orphans to the New World and becomes a commentary on the variety of the American experience. It is a wonderfully written family chronicle, full of observartion and insight, that both moves and entertains." -- ROBERT STONE "How often do you get to read a book that captures you so entirely and deeply that it controls your days, measures them out and defines them by how long it will be before you can get to your next night's reading? RISE THE EUPHRATES is one of these rare treasures: a work of power, grace, beauty, and exquisite tenderness." -- RICK BASS Since the publication of RISE THE EUPHRATES, Edgarian has been at work on a new novel, has published numerous pieces in magazines, and edits a prominent magazine of her own. If you would like to find out more about her work, you can locate her online at http://narrativemagazine.info

Like bring wrapped in a warm blanket

With every turn of the page, I felt more and more like I was reading my own family's story. I have never been so personally affected by a book before. Thank you Carol Edgarian!

Unforgettable!!

My boss's father, who is Armenian, loaned me this book two years ago and I found it to be one of the most unforgettable novels I've ever read. I read an average of 2 to 4 novels a month and most of them get donated to our local library when I'm finished (including most of Oprah's picks). Few books merit a permanent home in my personal library but this will certainly be one of them. Unfortunately, it is out of print and now I'm desperately trying to locate a copy. The first chapter was one of the most emotionally painful & horrific reads I've ever encountered. I'll never forget the characters of this book or their collective experiences that span three generations. This book must have a second printing... and Oprah, you have GOT to read this one.

The book that brought my attention to the Armenian Holocaust

I've read hundreds of books. Mostly fiction. This book is one of the best I've read. It reads like a beautiful and sad ballad. I purchased this book on a whim after reading the inside cover and am so thankful I did. It is far better than every best seller I've read. After reading this one I was inspired to read anything and everything about Armenians and this horrible period in history. I have quite a collection of books now. This is the only book to date that I would read a second time.