Orhan's Inheritance
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.
1120007853
Orhan's Inheritance
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.
24.99 In Stock
Orhan's Inheritance

Orhan's Inheritance

by Aline Ohanesian

Narrated by Assaf Cohen

Unabridged — 8 hours, 13 minutes

Orhan's Inheritance

Orhan's Inheritance

by Aline Ohanesian

Narrated by Assaf Cohen

Unabridged — 8 hours, 13 minutes

Audiobook (Digital)

$24.99
FREE With a B&N Audiobooks Subscription | Cancel Anytime
$0.00

Free with a B&N Audiobooks Subscription | Cancel Anytime

START FREE TRIAL

Already Subscribed? 

Sign in to Your BN.com Account


Listen on the free Barnes & Noble NOOK app


Related collections and offers

FREE

with a B&N Audiobooks Subscription

Or Pay $24.99

Overview

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.

Editorial Reviews

DECEMBER 2015 - AudioFile

Assaf Cohen's narration sets the mood for this lush literary drama about the secrets we discover after a loved one's death. Orhan discovers that his grandfather's past haunts his own future. Cohen voices Orhan's dreams and trials as he travels from Turkey to Los Angeles in order to track down the stranger who has inherited the family home. The pace is steady, moving the story forward and drawing the listener into the escalating tension. Various characters, like Orhan's father, come to life in gruff tones. Such distinctions help the listener keep track of the diverse cast. The narrator moves between male and female characters seamlessly, preserving the spell. M.R. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

The New York Times Book Review - Anderson Tepper

Orhan's Inheritance is…a lament disguised as a romance, a narrative in which the reclamation of a family home, the weaves of carpets, even the scent of a handkerchief come to represent a private version of a much larger historical tragedy. "All of life, Orhan realizes, is a story within a story; how we choose to listen and which words we choose to speak makes all the difference." It is this realization that will finally be Orhan's grandfather's greatest legacy.

From the Publisher

Orhan’s Inheritance is a book with a mission, giving a voice to history’s silent victims . . . Orhan’s Inheritance is itself a lament disguised as a romance, a narrative in which the reclamation of a family home, the weaves of carpets, even the scent of a handkerchief come to represent a private version of a much larger historical tragedy. ‘All of life, Orhan realizes, is a story within a story; how we choose to listen and which words we choose to speak makes all the difference.’ It is this realization that will finally be Orhan’s grandfather’s greatest legacy.” —New York Times Book Review

“Rich, tragic, compelling, and realized with deep care and insight.” —Elle

Orhan’s Inheritance illuminates human nature while portraying a devastating time in history . . . A remarkable debut novel that exhibits an impressive grasp of history as well as narrative intensity and vivid prose. It moves back and forth with confidence between the 1990s and 1915 . . . Her book is enriching on many levels, with a core theme common in literary fiction: ‘What matters is not what the world does to you, but how you respond.’ ” —Minneapolis Star Tribune

“At turns both subtle and transcendent, Orhan’s Inheritance will speak to those familiar with this dark chapter of history, and will be equally appealing readers who want to linger quietly in unfamiliar places and hidden stories of love and family.” —Los Angeles Review of Books 

“Successful as a family novel, Orhan's Inheritance is equally successful at relaying the difficulty of bearing witness and of hearing that testimony, as well as the emotional and psychological consequences for the descendants of survivors and perpetrators alike.”Colorado Springs Independent

“[A] beautifully written book about a horrific era rendered readable by a supremely talented author.” The Book Reporter

“A beautifully written narrative, which was wise, mature, and cognizant of its making . . . Ohanesian’s novel challenges our expectations through a meticulously executed formula that simultaneously feeds and subverts paradigms of the genocide’s cultural narrative . . . a brave novel that offers a unique literary rendering of the genocide and its aftermath.” —Asbarez Armenian Daily

“[An] impressive debut novel . . . Such sorrow in Ohanesian’s hands is not a heavy burden for the reader. Through the beauty and humanity of her central characters, the story transcends suffering . . . ‘A white day sheds light; a dark day sheds darkness,’ Orhan tells Seda on his first visit. Ohanesian’s novel is that ‘white day.’ ” —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Unforgettable . . . Drawing on the stories her Armenian great-grandmother told her, Ohanesian brings to life a painful, tragic history unfamiliar to most Americans.” —Library Journal, Editor’s Pick

“Ohanesian’s heartrending debut chronicles the painful odyssey of one family against the broader backdrop of the Armenian genocide . . . Ohanesian does a remarkable job of conveying the weight and the influence of time and place without excusing or excluding the human dimension that necessarily factors into the unfolding cataclysm.”Booklist

“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 stunning exploration of how choosing to remember—and to forget—can shape an individual, a family and an entire people . . . Ohanesian moves seamlessly between the present day and Seda's guarded recollections of her history, to relay an emotional and at times horrific story of the Armenian genocide a century ago. Seda's story—the story of a struggle and the suppression of an entire people—is full of pain and heartbreak, but Orhan's Inheritance proves the power of storytelling to reveal beauty and truth in the most unexpected of places.” —Shelf Awareness for Readers

Orhan's Inheritance, explores the ripple effect a traumatic event can have over time, yet still strikes a hopeful tone for the future . . . As Orhan learns more about his grandfather's past, and his own personal connection to the genocide, his awareness expands. Hence why stories like this are so important: We shouldn't hide from the past, because then the past will repeat itself. What we can try to do is make amends, and learn from the past. This year marks the one-hundredth anniversary of the Armenian genocide, making this novel a timely commemoration.”Everyday Ebook

“Aline Ohanesian draws from her family’s own dark history to create a tender, powerful story of love and reclamation. Orhan’s Inheritance is a breathtaking and expansive work of historical fiction and proof that the past can sometimes rewrite the future.” —Christina Baker Kline, author of Orphan Train

“To take the tumultuous history of Turks and Armenians in the early part of this century, and 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

“An impressive debut . . . [Ohanesian’s] portrayal of this period of Turkish/Armenian history is spot-on, and most readers of historical fiction will enjoy the novel. Book groups in particular will find that its complex themes, centering on important topics such as memory and forgetting, what makes a family, and the desperate actions one may need to take to survive in adversity, will likely lend themselves to lively discussion.” —BookBrowse

“An irresistible debut novel about first love, ancient betrayal, secrets within secrets, missing parents, war crimes, and ambiguous morality . . . In this multigenerational page turner of an epic saga, Ohanesian bears witness to atrocities even as her characters’ descendants work towards redemption.” —The Christian Science Monitor

“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

“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

Orhan's Inheritance is a remarkable debut from an important new voice. It tells us things we thought we knew and shows us we had no idea. Beautiful and terrible and, finally, indelible.” —Luis Alberto Urrea, author of Queen of America

DECEMBER 2015 - AudioFile

Assaf Cohen's narration sets the mood for this lush literary drama about the secrets we discover after a loved one's death. Orhan discovers that his grandfather's past haunts his own future. Cohen voices Orhan's dreams and trials as he travels from Turkey to Los Angeles in order to track down the stranger who has inherited the family home. The pace is steady, moving the story forward and drawing the listener into the escalating tension. Various characters, like Orhan's father, come to life in gruff tones. Such distinctions help the listener keep track of the diverse cast. The narrator moves between male and female characters seamlessly, preserving the spell. M.R. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Review

★ 2015-01-20
In Ohanesian's debut novel, a Turkish man confronts secrets about his family and his country's history and is faced with an impossible choice: Should the past remain in the past, or should all stories, even the most painful, come to light? When his grandfather dies, Orhan returns from Istanbul to the small village where he grew up and the contentious relationship he shares with his father; the tension is exacerbated when his grandfather's will reveals that he has left the family dye business to Orhan and the family house to a strange woman in an Armenian-American nursing home. While the rest of the nursing home prepares for an exhibit called "Bearing Witness: An Exhibit About Memory and Identity," Seda at first refuses to talk to Orhan about her connection to his grandfather. When she finally unburdens herself, giving voice to a harrowing tale of unimaginable sacrifice, he must decide what to do with this new information about his family and about the horrors of his country's history. In a complex balance, Ohanesian often condemns language as insufficient to convey these stories of loss and pain, while at the same time recognizing that telling the story can be cathartic and even universally necessary. The heart of the novel seems to suggest that "[t]here is only what is, what happened. The words come much later, corrupting everything with meaning." There are deep reflections on guilt, both collective and individual, and the power of memory to destroy or to heal. By rejecting the power of the written word but also, in writing a novel, relying on it to be powerful, Ohanesian explores both sides of this argument about bearing witness to Turkey's terrible legacy. A novel that delves into the darkest corners of human history and emerges with a tenuous sense of hope.

Product Details

BN ID: 2940170041718
Publisher: HighBridge Company
Publication date: 04/07/2015
Edition description: Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

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. Orhan was told the old men of the village stood in front of the soaking corpse, fingering their worry beads, while their sons waited, holding dice from abandoned backgammon games. Modesty forbade any female spectators, but within hours the news spread from one kitchen and vendor’s stall to the next. Orhan’s grandfather, his dede, had immersed his body, naked except for his britches, into a vat of fabric dye outside their family home.

Orhan sinks into the backseat of the private car, a luxury he talked himself into when the dread of a seven-hour bus ride back to the village started to overwhelm his grief. He wanted to mourn in private, away from the chickens, the elderly, the traveling merchants, or worse yet, the odd acquaintance that could normally be found on a bus ride to Anatolia, the interior of Turkey. He told himself he could afford a little luxury now, but the car showed up an hour late, sporting a broken air conditioner and a driver reeking of cheap cologne and sweat. Orhan lights a cigarette and shuts his eyes against the sting of the man’s body odor.

“Going to visit your family?” the driver asks.

“Yes,” answers Orhan.

“That’s nice. So many young people leave their villages and never come back,” he says.

The truth is it’s been three years since his last visit. Had Dede had the good sense to move out of that godforsaken place, there would be no reason to go back. The car veers off the highway, making its way along a recently paved road toward the city of Sivas, on whose outskirts Karod village is located. The driver slows down and opens a window, letting the terroir-laden scent of soil waft into the car’s cavity. Unlike Istanbul, whose majesty is reflected in the Bosporus, Central Anatolia is the quintessential other Turkey, in which allusions of majesty or progress are much harder to come by. Here shepherds follow the bleating of long-haired goats, and squat village women carry bundles of kindling on their backs. Time and progress are two long-lost relatives who send an occasional letter. The ancient roads of Sivas Province, once a part of the famed Silk Road, have seen the stomping of Assyrian, Persian, Greek, and Roman feet. Dry-rotted timber, blocks of concrete, and sheets of corrugated tin stand feebly upon ancient Byzantine stone structures whose architectural complexity suggests a more glorious past. Layer upon layer of earth and civilization washed downstream by the muddy waters of the Kizil Irmak, the Red River, produces a kind of sedimentary aesthetic. Orhan thinks of the unbearable heat of Anatolian summers acting as an adhesive for all these different layers.

“You have siblings?” the driver asks.

“No,” answers Orhan.

“Just your parents then?” he asks, glancing at Orhan through the rearview mirror.

“Father, grandfather, and an aunt,” he says, looking out at the barren landscape. How is it that even without a single structure weighing down on it, the land is heavy, the atmosphere so pressed it makes it hard to breathe? It was these very fields, burdened with a history he could not name, that first inspired him to pick up Dede’s Leica. Somewhere around age fifteen, Orhan discovered that if he blurred the image in the lens enough, Karod would no longer threaten to crush him. Through the lens, the slopes and valleys of his childhood started to resemble abstract paintings, broad strokes of yellow and green, hidden patches of lavender, set against an ever-changing sky of blue and orange. It was only later that he realized he was imposing meaning upon the world by the way he chose to capture it. Those first photographs were like butterflies suspended in glass panes.

“I grew up near Sivas,” the driver continues. “What’s your family name? Maybe I know it.”

There is no escaping this constant need for placing one another in Turkey. It’s one of the few things Orhan loved about living in Germany: the anonymity. “Türkoglu,” he says finally.

The driver’s expression, framed in the rearview mirror, changes. “I’m sorry for your loss,” he says. “Kemal Bey was an extraordinary man. Is it true he fought at Ctesiphon?”

Orhan nods, taking another drag from his cigarette.

“They don’t make them like that anymore. That generation was full of real men. They fought against all of Europe and Russia, established a republic, and founded entire industries. It’s something, huh?”

“Yes,” agrees Orhan. “It’s something.”

“The paper says he immersed himself in dye for medicinal purposes,” the driver says.

It’s not the first time Orhan has heard this preposterous theory. It’s a story crafted, no doubt, by his cunning little aunt. Though Dede had been a well-respected World War I hero-turned-businessman, he was also an eccentric man, living in a place where eccentricities needed to be explained away or covered up.

In villages like Karod, every person, object, and stone has to have some sort of covering, a layer of protection made from cloth, brick, or dust. Men and women cover their heads with skullcaps and head scarves. These standards of modesty also apply to their animals, their speech, their ideas. Why should Dede’s death be an exception?

The car veers left onto a loosely graveled road that leads into the village. Orhan searches for the wooden post that used to announce the village’s name in unassuming hand-painted white letters, but it’s nowhere to be found. A young boy in a bright orange shirt and green shorts walks behind a herd of cows. He sweeps a long stick at their backs, ushering them into one of many narrow corridors sandwiched between mud-caked houses.

“Is this it?” asks the driver.

“Yes,” says Orhan. “Just follow this road until you see the house with the large columns.”

The sound of crunching gravel comes to a halt as the car stops. Orhan extinguishes his cigarette and steps out. He can hear the singular sound of hired wailers, their practiced percussion luring him out of the car: two, maybe three female voices filled with a kind of sorrow and vulnerability that comes only with practice. The two-story family home is a dilapidated old ruin by any standards, but here in the forgotten back pocket of Central Anatolia, it is considered a sturdy and grand affair. A thin film of mustard-colored stucco advances and retreats over hand-cut stones of putty and gray, reminding Orhan of a half-peeled piece of dried-out fruit. The Victorian-looking house, complete with parlor and basement, is the birthplace of Tarik Inc., which began as a small collection of workshops and which, over the past six decades, grew into an automated firm, exporting textiles as far away as Italy and Germany. Here, inside these ruinous walls, according to family legend, Orhan’s great-grandfather had woven a kilim for the sultan himself. That was before the empire became a republic, before democracy and Westernization revolutionized what it meant to be a Turk. In the courtyard to the left of the house, the massive copper cauldrons stand guarding the wilting structure. Through the decades they’ve gone from holding fabric dye to sheltering children playing hide-and-seek to storing the discarded ashes of hookah pipes and cigarettes. These vessels have contained the many bits and pieces of Dede’s life. Perhaps it is only fitting that they also housed his last breath.

Orhan weaves a familiar path around the cauldrons. All empty, except one holding a murky sledgelike dye that looks more black than blue, the color of a good-bye.

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews