Armenian-American author Margaret Ajemian Ahnert will be discussing the latest developments from her award-winning book “The Knock at the Door,” at the Armenian Library and Museum of America on July 17.
A journey through the darkness of the Armenian Genocide, as told by the author’s mother Ester, the book has been translated into 10 different languages, gone through six printings, and was named “Best Historical Memoir of 2008” at the New York Book Festival.
As she was growing up, Ahnert listened to her mother’s terrifying stories about her deportation from her home in Amasia, Turkey, during the Armenian Genocide. Separated from her family at age 15, Ester underwent traumatic experiences but eventually escaped and emigrated to America. The book also explores mother/daughter relationships and presents an intimate view of family life and the inspiration Ahnert took from her mother.
Born in New York City, Ahnert has an MFA from Goucher College, a BA from Goddard College, and is a graduate of the Barnes Foundation. She has pursued a variety of careers: producing television documentaries, lecturing as a docent at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and teaching art appreciation through the “Art Goes to School” program in elementary schools. She has received numerous humanitarian awards, including the “Ellis Island Medal of Honor,” and in 2010 established the Margaret Ajemian Ahnert scholarship program, which supports female journalists in Armenia.
