Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday; The Gendarme

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This event spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating. Here is my pick:

The Gendarme; Mark Mustian
(Putnam - Sept. 2, 2010)

(amazon)......
What would you do if the love of your life, and all your memories, were lost- only to reappear, but with such shocking revelations that you wish you had never remembered...

Emmett Conn is an old man, near the end of his life. A World War I veteran, he's been affected by memory loss since being injured during the war. To those around him, he's simply a confused man, fading in and out of senility. But what they don't know is that Emmett has been beset by memories, of events he and others have denied or purposely forgotten.

In Emmett's dreams he's a gendarme, escorting Armenians from Turkey. A young woman among them, Araxie, captivates and enthralls him. But then the trek ends, the war separates them. He is injured. Seven decades later, as his grasp on the boundaries between past and present begins to break down, Emmett sets out on a final journey, to find Araxie and beg her forgiveness.

Mark Mustian has written a remarkable novel about the power of memory-and the ability of people, individually and collectively, to forget. Depicting how love can transcend nationalities, politics, and religion, how racism creates divisions where none truly exist, and how the human spirit fights to survive even in the face of hopelessness, The Gendarme is a transcendent novel.

16 comments:

  1. This looks like an intense read. Thanks!

    My WOW is here -

    Manga Maniac Cafe

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  2. That cover really makes me stop and take a closer look!
    Nice pick :)

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  3. Okay, now I'm waiting too. This looks like a great book, and I love the cover!

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  4. That cover is arresting...and the synopsis sucked me in, too! Great pick!

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  5. I have been looking at this book and think it looks very interesting. I just know I am going to have to read this one!!

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  6. I hadn't heard of this one...sounds really good :-)

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  7. Wow, this one sounds powerful and totally memorable! I would like this one.

    Here's mine:

    http://chezraine.wordpress.com/2010/07/14/waiting-on-wednesday-18/

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  8. This sounds delicious! (Can I describe a story that way?)

    And, your layout looks fine to me. I'm on Firefox.

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  9. Fabulous pick! It sounds so good and the cover is striking. My WOW is at The Crowded Leaf.

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  10. This sounds intense! Good pick.
    My WoW is here

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  11. I'm really looking forward to this one too!

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  12. Great pick! This sounds so good!

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  13. This one definitely sounds worth waiting for!

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  14. I want this one so badly, I can hardly stand it!

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  15. I just got this in the mail through Shelf Awareness and I'm excited to read it!

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