• Age: 14 to 17
• Reading age: 14 to 18

Teenagers Kevork and his betrothed Marta are the lucky ones. They have managed so far to survive the Armenian genocide in Turkey, and both are disguised as Muslims. But Marta is still in Turkey, pregnant with another man's child. And Kevork is living as an Arab in Syria.

Kevork yearns to get back into Turkey and search for Marta, but with the war raging and the genocide still in progress, the journey will be impossibly dangerous. Meanwhile, Marta worries that even if Kevork has survived and they are reunited, will he be able to accept what she has become? And what has happened to her sister, Mariam, who was sold as a slave to the highest bidder?

Daughter of War is a gripping story of enduring love and loyalty set against the horrors of Turkey during World War I.

 

Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch est l’auteure d’une dizaine de livres dont Cher Journal : Prisonniers de la grande forêt, Enfant volée, Soldat clandestin et Faire des bombes pour Hitler. Elle a remporté de nombreux prix et est l’une des auteures canadiennes de romans historiques pour les jeunes les plus respectées. L’écriture de Marsha met en relief son héritage ukrainien. Elle a reçu l’Ordre de la princesse Olga de la part du président ukrainien. Elle vit à Brantford, en Ontario.

 

MARSHA FORCHUK SKRYPUCH is the author of more than a dozen books, including Dear Canada: Prisoners in the Promised Land, Stolen Child, Making Bombs for Hitler, Underground Soldier and Don’t Tell the Enemy. She has won many awards for her work and is one of Canada’s most respected authors of historical fiction for young people. Much of Marsha’s writing focuses on stories from her Ukrainian heritage, and she has been presented with the Order of Princess Olha by the President of Ukraine and named a Canadian Ukrainian Woman of Distinction. Marsha lives in Brantford, Ontario. Visit her online at www.calla.com.

Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch's profile page

"Daughter of War is an unsettling but compelling novel that will appeal to mature young adult readers."
— Quill & Quire

"This is an exciting story. . . There is a lot of thrilling action in a certainly exotic setting. Readers of Armenian descent will find this especially relevant to their own cultural understanding, but any readers who like historical fiction filled with danger, tragedy, and survival will like this novel."
— KLIATT

"This is a powerful, often harrowing novel that will appeal to those who appreciate books about people surviving in spite of grave injustices."
— School Library Journal

"(The story) is upfront about the unspeakable brutality, the betrayals and the casual murders even as it offers the constant surprise of soldiers, diplomats, nurses, missionaries, and children acting as rescuers. Add this to the Holocaust curriculum."
— Booklist

"Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch's novel, Daughter of War, is hard-hitting and troublesome and, as she would wish, highly educational. . . a powerful and moving read.
Recommended."
— CM Magazine

"From the first page I was hooked. . . Daughter of War is a good read, as well as a compelling look at an event too little known in the Western World."
— Canadian Children's Book News

"Daughter of War is a deftly written historical fiction novel, sure to enthrall readers with a story set amid events that truly happened. A top pick for community library literary collections."
— Midwest Book Review

"A powerful sequel to her 2003 novel, Nobody's Child."
— Winnipeg Free Press

"Marta's and Kevork's compelling stories drive the reader through the novel. They are strong, evolving protagonists and you care about them. There are times, however, when their story is swallowed by the history lessons that Skrypuch wants to put in the spotlight. It's a tribute to her writing that even in those lessons you do not want to put the book down. The stories of Marta and Kevork overcome the history - and in the scheme of things, perhaps that's exactly as it should be."
— The Waterloo Record

"A powerful novel based on first-hand accounts of actual historical events and will appeal to teens and adults. It leaves readers with a powerful question: "But was anywhere safe when you were Armenian?"
— Curled Up With a Good (Kid's) Book

Daughter of War

From the first page, I was hooked into this story of Kevork and Marta, two young lovers separated by the deportations inflicted on ethnic Armenians by the Turks. By luck both survive the initial event and go into hiding, taking other identities and helped by sympathetic people.

Skrypuch follows Kevork and Marta as they struggle to survive and to find each other again. Through them and the people who touch their lives, she creates a complex picture of the Armenians, the Turks, and the Europeans and North Americans who were all involved in this tragedy. While the main story takes place between 1916 and 1918, she makes judicious use of flashback and reminiscence to fill in the history of Kevork, Marta and their families.

Skrypuch manages to depict the horror of the genocide without becoming trite or unnecessarily graphic. While deploring the evil done, and the callousness of human beings to one another, she avoids labelling groups as either good or bad.

Daughter of War is a good read, as well as a compelling look at an event too little known in the Western world.

Daughter of War

Disguised as a Muslim, Marta survives the Armenian genocide in Turkey during World War I. Separated from her betrothed and her sister, Marta can only wait and hope. But if her loved ones have also survived by hiding their true identities, how will she ever find them again?