Comments (30)

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Apr 30, 2023maipenrai rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
Gave up. I will learn about the Armenian genocide in another way. Kristi & Abby Tabby
Oct 12, 2022MamaNin rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
I usually love Bohjalian novels but this one was quite difficult to get into. I skipped through the middle of the book and it did get easier to read. I did like the uncurling of history and linking the two main female characters.
Feb 05, 2022DonnaMYoung rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Every once in a while, you read a book like this that stays with you long after you read it. I love that it is historical fiction but based on real life events - the Armenian genocide of 1915. This is a well written book and I could not…
Jul 19, 2021writermala rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Chris Bohjalian is a great writer and it is obvious that a lot of research has gone into this, a novel about the Armenian genocide in the early twentieth century. The back and forth transition took a little getting used to but was well…
Jun 13, 2021INVS rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Great intro to the genocide of Armenians, only just now recognized as genocide for the first time in 100 years by Pres. Biden.
May 25, 2021PDBurt rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Rivitting tale of Armenian genocide in the beginning of the 20th century. I don't usually like the back and forth style between what happened in the past and the research and comments of the author, and I cringe at the tragedy of war;…
May 12, 2021tjdickey rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Bohjalian is a very smart writer, and this foray into historical fiction is a stunning tale. Part romance, part historical tragedy, part journey of family discovery, the kernel of the narrative centers around WW1 Aleppo and Gallipoli -…
May 05, 2021ryner rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Elizabeth Endicott, fresh out of basic nursing training, arrives with her father in Aleppo, Syria, as part of a humanitarian effort to bring medical care and food supplies to besieged refugees. They were told that Armenian citizens are…
Dec 23, 2019posie12 rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
Another formula book: take a historical event, add a love story and voila you have one more of his novels. His characters are so undeveloped , you can not even like them. More research would have done this book a world of good. Plus a…
May 27, 2019princessofburundi rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Wow! Is my opinion of Bohjalian's The Sandcastle Girls. We've all read about the horrors of the Holocaust. I'd never heard of the Armenian Genocide, despite the fact that it was in the 20th century, and that approximately 1.5 Armenians…
Feb 20, 2019INVS rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Picked this as a 2nd time & much prefer the written word. This reader was not to my liking at all. A struggle I just gave up. Certainly a different 'voice' from CB, but same great subject choices, always informative.
Jul 16, 2018ctmuther rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
My Mother used to tell me a phrase I never thought about, "the starving Armenians". She used it in reference to my not eating something. I just thought it an expression -- I had no idea... until I read this book. A book I found totally…
Oct 11, 2017CatherineG_1 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Reread this for my bookclub. Loved this book even more the second time. Very enlightening, well written story.
Oct 31, 201421221018293347 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
who knew. I certainly didn't. It is amazing that there was an Armenian genocide prior to World War 1. Fantastic story of the tragedy presented as is without apology. As the granddaughter from the 21st century investigates, she discovers…
Aug 15, 2014
This was an amazing book. I was awed at the author's ability to tell the engaging tales of a wide cast of both fictional and real characters and also enlighten the reader about a complex time in world history. The Armenian genocide and…
Jun 18, 2014
Chris Bohjalian is at his best in this novel, which, in its description of the horror of war, weaves a tender novel of the discovery of family ties. The plot weaves carefully and clearly the ties of today's family with that of old family…
May 18, 2014
"As in Jodi Picoult's The Storyteller, war and genocide form the backdrop of this thought-provoking novel from an author known for examining hot-button issues in small town settings. But The Sandcastle Girls is nevertheless a bit of a…
Mar 16, 2014IV27HUjg rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Chris Bohjalian is a fantastic writer & story teller. Based on his personal interest & research of the Armenian slaughter of the WWI era. In novel form it somewhat diminishes the events. Love story? Hmmmm
Mar 13, 2014KCLSRecommends rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A powerful novel about the events that led to the coining of the new word "genocide": the slaughter of over a million Armenians in Turkey just before World War I.
sharonb122
Feb 13, 2014sharonb122 rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
At first I had a hard time getting into the plot and caring about the characters. The main character, Elizabeth, I believe, did not seem to suit the setting of 1915. However, I did like the historical setting of the genicide of the…
lib_apart
Oct 08, 2013
Skillfully interweaves stories from 1915 Armenia and modern suburban New York. Sandcastle Girls illustrates the horrors of the Armenian genocide. However, Bohjalian manages to do so without letting his characters become two-dimensional.
mrsgail5756
Jun 10, 2013mrsgail5756 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
A very good book. I would recommend this book for all to read.
jdaigle3
Mar 25, 2013jdaigle3 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I defy anyone who reads this to not at least tear up at the end of this book. Such an emotional ride. It was sweet, it was sad, it was romantic, it was just so good. One of those books that no one seems to know about and everyone should!…
Jan 03, 2013pokygirl rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
A very well written story that enlightens me to the Armenian genocide. The author kept me interested throughout and I want to learn more about this very sad time in Armenian history.
BrigidScott
Dec 17, 2012BrigidScott rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
2012. Excellent.