April 24 marked the anniversary of the largest genocide you have never heard of: the Armenian genocide. Michigan author Keri Topouzian’s book, A Perfect Armenian, captures the suspense and fear of that time through the story of a good man born into a life of violence, illegal business, and tough decisions, the Broadway Report writes.
“On the 24th of April in 1915, the first phase of the Armenian massacres began with the arrest and murder of hundreds of intellectuals, mainly from Constantinople, the capital of Ottoman Empire (now Istanbul in present day Turkey),” the article reads.
Topouzian’s book, A Perfect Armenian is work of historical fiction wrapped in adventure and mystery that was inspired by his own family’s story of survival during the Genocide and the need to raise awareness about a tragic time in our world’s history that is unremembered.
“If it weren’t for fiction, I believe we would know very little about our world. A list of historic facts might come and go, but when our imaginations become involved, we learn. When we are able to place ourselves within the story and laugh or cry with the characters, we remember. Not many people know much about Armenia, its history or its people. I hope that this novel will open a small and interesting window into this culture. My culture,” said Topouzian, author of A Perfect Armenian.
Topouzian’s paternal grandmother, Varsenig, came from the village of Tchingiler. In 1915, Turkish soldiers forced Varsenig, her family and the rest of their village to walk from their homes to the desert near Damascus, Syria. They walked hundreds of miles because the soldiers had convinced the villagers that they were traveling to safety from World War I. In reality, they were deprived of food and water, and left to die. 1.5 million Armenians were killed in the genocide.
Topouzian’s book, A Perfect Armenian was inspired by his family’s story of survival and the need to raise awareness about a tragic time in our world’s history.
Keri Topouzian, a Bloomfield Hills resident, was born in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from the University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1982. Dr. Topouzian’s mother, a journalist, was born and raised in Detroit while his father, a mechanical engineer, was born in Utica, New York. His grandparents hailed from four different villages in Ancient Armenia (now part of Turkey), each immigrating separately to the United States.
Topouzian practices holistic and alternative medicine with offices in Grand Rapids and Detroit. He is active in the Armenian community but spends most of his free time with his wife and four growing children.
