Other editions of book Orhan's Inheritance

A strange inheritance reveals troubling secrets for a Turkish family in this “remarkable debut novel” of love, grief, and the Armenian genocide (Minneapolis Star-Tribune).Orhan Türkoglu’s grandfather Kemal not only lived through the Armenian Genocide of World War I, but went on to build a dynasty out of his kilim rug business. Now, when Kemal is found dead, submerged in a vat of dye, Orhan must return to the small Turkish village of his youth to pay his respects and claim his inheritance. While Kemal’s will leaves the business to Orhan, the family estate has been left to a strange woman no one in the family has ever heard of before. Thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, elderly Seda Melkonian lives in a retirement home for Armenian Americans.Intent on righting this injustice, Orhan travels to California. But his journey unearths a story that, if told, has the power to undo the legacy upon which Orhan’s family is built—a story that could unravel his own future.“Stunning . . . At turns both subtle and transcendent.” —Los Angeles Review of Books“Rich, tragic, compelling, and realized with deep care and insight.” —Elle

When Orhan's brilliant and eccentric grandfather - a man who built a dynasty out of making kilim rugs - is found dead, submerged in a vat of dye, Orhan inherits the decades-old business. But his grandfather's will raises more questions than answers. Kemal has left the family estate to a stranger, thousands of miles away, an aging woman in an Armenian retirement home in Los Angeles. Her existence and secrecy about her past only deepen the mystery of why Orhan's grandfather would have willed their home in Turkey to an unknown woman rather than to his own son or grandson. Left with only Kemal's ancient sketchbook and intent on righting this injustice, Orhan boards a plane to Los Angeles. There, over many meetings, he will not only unearth the story that 87-year-old Seda so closely guards, but discover that Seda's past now threatens to unravel his future. It's a story that, if told, has the power to undo the legacy upon which his family is built. Moving back and forth in time, between the last years of the Ottoman Empire and the 1990s, Orhan's Inheritance is a story of passionate love, unspeakable horrors, incredible resilience, and the hidden stories that haunt a family.

A strange inheritance reveals troubling secrets for a Turkish family in this “remarkable debut novel” of love, grief, and the Armenian genocide (Minneapolis Star-Tribune). Orhan Türkoglu’s grandfather Kemal not only lived through the Armenian Genocide of World War I, but went on to build a dynasty out of his kilim rug business. Now, when Kemal is found dead, submerged in a vat of dye, Orhan must return to the small Turkish village of his youth to pay his respects and claim his inheritance. While Kemal’s will leaves the business to Orhan, the family estate has been left to a strange woman no one in the family has ever heard of before. Thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, elderly Seda Melkonian lives in a retirement home for Armenian Americans. Intent on righting this injustice, Orhan travels to California. But his journey unearths a story that, if told, has the power to undo the legacy upon which Orhan’s family is built—a story that could unravel his own future. “Stunning . . . At turns both subtle and transcendent.” —Los Angeles Review of Books “Rich, tragic, compelling, and realized with deep care and insight.” —Elle

They found him inside one of seventeen cauldrons in the courtyard, steeping in an indigo dye two shades darker than the summer sky. His arms and chin were propped over the copper edge, but the rest of Kemal Türkoglu, age ninety-three, had turned a pretty pale blue. When Orhan’s brilliant and eccentric grandfather, who built a dynasty out of making kilim rugs, is found dead in a vat of dye, Orhan inherits the decades-old business. But his grandfather’s will raises more questions than it answers. Kemal has left the family estate to a stranger thousands of miles away, an aging woman in a retirement home in Los Angeles. Her existence and secrecy about her past only deepen the mystery of why Orhan’s grandfather would have left their home to this woman rather than to his own family. Intent on righting this injustice, Orhan boards a plane to Los Angeles. There, over many meetings, he will unearth the story that eighty-seven-year-old Seda so closely guards--the story that, if told, has the power to undo the legacy upon which Orhan’s family is built, the story that could unravel Orhan’s own future. Moving between the last years of the Ottoman Empire and the 1990s, Orhan's Inheritance is a story of passionate love, unspeakable horrors, incredible resilience, and the hidden stories that haunt a family. “A remarkable debut from an important new voice . . . Beautiful and terrible and, finally, indelible.” —Luis Alberto Urrea, author of Queen of America “To take the tumultuous history of Turks and Armenians in the early part of the past century, to tell the stories of families and lovers from the small everyday moments of life to the terrible journeys of death, to make a novel so engrossing and keep us awake--that is an accomplishment, and Aline Ohanesian’s first novel is such a wonderful accomplishment.” —Susan Straight, author of Highwire Moon “From its first startling image, Orhan’s Inheritance will seep under your skin and leave an indelible mark upon your heart. What lucky readers we are to inherit Aline Ohanesian’s gorgeous work.” —Gayle Brandeis, author of Delta Girls “Readers who were moved by the work of Carol Edgarian, Mark Mustian, and Nancy Kricorian will appreciate the historical authenticity and passion that Aline Ohanesian brings to this story of the Armenian Genocide. Orhan’s Inheritance is heartfelt and sincere.” —Chris Bohjalian, author of The Sandcastle Girls “A harrowing tale of unimaginable sacrifice . . . A novel that delves into the darkest corners of human history and emerges with a tenuous sense of hope.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

A young Turkish man journeys back in time and across continents in search of a stranger who will forever alter the way he sees himself, his family and his country. When Orhan's brilliant and eccentric grandfather-a man who built a dynasty out of making kilim rugs-is found dead, submerged in a vat of dye, Orhan inherits the decades-old business. But his grandfather's will raises more questions than answers. Kemal has left the family estate to a stranger, thousands of miles away, an aging woman in an Armenian retirement home in Los Angeles. Her existence and secrecy about her past only deepen the mystery of why Orhan's grandfather would have willed their home in Turkey to an unknown woman rather than to his own son or grandson. Left with only Kemal's ancient sketchbook and intent on righting this injustice, Orhan boards a plane to Los Angeles. There, over many meetings, he will not only unearth the story that 87-year-old Seda so closely guards, but discover that Seda's past now threatens to unravel his future. It's a story that, if told, has the power to undo the legacy upon which his family is built. Moving back and forth in time, between the last years of the Ottoman Empire and the 1990s, Orhan's Inheritance is a story of passionate love, unspeakable horrors, incredible resilience, and the hidden stories that haunt a family.