Bohjalian’s "The Sandcastle Girls” presented on Capitol Hill

PanARMENIAN.Net - New York Times Best-Selling author Chris Bohjalian capped a full day on Capitol Hill with a compelling presentation of "The Sandcastle Girls," his newly published novel about the Armenian Genocide, to a standing room only Congressional audience on August 1, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The event in support of the book, published by Doubleday, was co-hosted by Armenian Genocide Resolution lead sponsors, Representatives Robert Dold (R-IL) and Adam Schiff (D-CA), and the ANCA. The Washington Post, a day before the presentation, announced that “The Sandcastle Girls” debuted as the #4 best-selling book in the national capital area.

"Today's strong turn-out on Capitol Hill speaks very powerfully to Chris Bohjalian's great talent as a story-teller who enlightens, educates, and - ultimately - empowers his readers," said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian. "His work explores - as only art can - the key unresolved human and moral issues of the Armenian Genocide, raising awareness of this crime, even as it reinforces our common resolve to seek its truthful and just resolution. We look forward to building on this excitement, here in Washington and in communities across our country, to finally get America on the right side of this issue, and to end forever the denial by Turkey of this still unpunished atrocity."

Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Representatives Schiff, Jackie Speier (D-CA) and David Cicilline (D-RI), as well as, former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans and his wife Donna joined Congressional staff and community members at the event. The Armenian Ambassador, Tatoul Markarian, who is on travel outside of Washington, DC, was represented by senior diplomats Antranik Hovhannisyan and Harutyun Kojoyan. Among the notable figures publicly recognized at the event was popular actress and community activist Anne Bedian (Ani Nahabedian).

The novel has received stellar reviews from dozens of publications nationwide, including the Washington Post, USA Today, the Boston Globe, the Associated Press, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, Entertainment Weekly, and People Magazine. On July 23, it was announced as the Book of the Week on Oprah.com and is currently seventh on the New York Times Best-Sellers List.

In his 15th book, "The Sandcastle Girls," Bohjalian brings us on a very different kind of journey. The spellbinding tale travels between Aleppo, Syria in 1915 and Bronxville, New York in 2012 – a sweeping historical love story steeped in the author's Armenian heritage, making it his most personal novel to date.