In 1915, there was genocide in Armenia rooted in the fall of the Ottoman Empire. It was a terrible period in history filled with persecution against Armenians. Rapes and beatings were common, and those who were not initially murdered were sent to the surrounding mountains and deserts without food, drink or shelter.
The Armenian Genocide of 1915 took the lives of about 1.5 million individuals. Many are not aware of this terrible genocide that happened almost 100 years ago.
To educate individuals as well as to commemorate this tragedy, local Moorestown author Irene Vosbikian has relaunched her book, written 25 years ago, called “Bedros,” a documentation of her father-in-law’s personal account of his escape from the genocide.
“It was important to relaunch this novel to bring this story of the Armenian Genocide to the non-Armenian community. Armenians are aware of this horrendous situation, but it was my concern to bring this story to the non-Armenian public,” Vosbikian said.
A longtime Moorestown resident with four children and 11 grandchildren all in Moorestown, Vosbikian was a freelance writer for local papers, but didn’t write for money. She wrote to keep her father’s spirit and passion for writing alive. He passed away in WWII before she was born.
However, when Vosbikian heard her father-in-law’s story of his escape from the Armenian Genocide, she knew she needed to do something with his story and the information he had given her. That is how “Bedros” came to be.
“I had gotten married to my husband and went to visit my father-in-law. Many times during the week, after dinner, we would sit by the fire and he would talk to me about his life in Armenia, which was Turkey at the time, and how he escaped. After listening to these wonderful stories, I decided to put those stories into a novel,” Vosbikian said.
“Bedros” has two stories within its 318 pages. One is the story of Vosbikian’s father-in-law, Bedros, which is Peter in English, and his survival and escape before the genocide and his life in Philadelphia afterward. The other part of the story is from those involved in the genocide themselves. She did this part through letters, which are all accurate and documented stories. “Bedros” is brimming with hope, bravery and perseverance.
“My favorite part of the novel is Bedros’ escape from Turkey. It is a fascinating story where he travels from Turkey to Marseille, France, dressed as a woman,” Vosbikian said.
Vosbikian hopes people read her novel and recognize the Armenian Genocide as an important and tragic event in history. She also hopes those who read the book take away how strong the Armenians are and the important roles they play in society today.
“I hope they take away the Armenian spirit. It is a strong nationality; it is a nationality that would not die. Although the Turks had hoped to exterminate them, today there are famous Armenian doctors, lawyers and directors. They have not only survived, but exceeded in our world. ‘Bedros’ tells everyone the Turks didn’t succeed in their extermination,” Vosbikian said.
“Bedros” is available online at Amazon.com under “Bedros” by Irene Vosbikian. Please visit www.amazon.com/Bedros-Irene-Vosbikian/dp/0615887244. The books aren’t available in bookstores as of yet. Check out the “Bedros” Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BedrosBook for more.
