[Editor’s Note: The newspaper is presenting excerpts from the new novel by Dr. Rosemary H. Cohen, “The Mother of Jerusalem Is Crying,” inspired, as all of her extensive writings are, by the sudden death of her teenage daughter 19 summers ago.]
From the opening page:
The Mother of Jerusalem Is Crying is a sweeping historical novel that begins in 19th century Armenia, then under Turkish control, telling the interwoven stories of three families — Christian, Jewish and Muslim — over three generations and three continents.
The story describes their lives in terms of their traditions, triumphs and tragedies, and how they contended with the violence of the Armenian Genocide, World War II, the Holocaust and the founding of Israel.
Many of the characters do not survive the enveloping violence. Despite these tragedies, the message of this book is hopeful. The story illustrates that people of different faiths can live together, marry and raise happy children.
Ordinary people, perhaps more than their political leaders, have the capacity to bring an end to the suffering and death that mark our time.
If you hate Armenians, don’t read Book One.
If you hate Jews, don’t read Book Two.
If you hate Arabs and Palestinians, don’t read Book Three.
If you hate any or all of them, boy, you have a problem. Read the Coda. It may help you, and it may open your heart. [The Code will be serialized, starting tomorrow.]
(To be continued) __Dr. Rosemary Hartounian Cohen, who lives in the Fairfax District, earned her Ph.D in sociology from the Sorbonne in Paris. She lived in two other countries before moving with her husband and children to Los Angeles in 1984. She has published four books in America. Since 1985, Dr. Cohen has operated Atelier de Paris, an international art business, on Robertson Boulevard. She may be contacted at rosemary@atelierdeparis.com
