THE LEGACY OF LOST THINGS

Kirkus Reviews (Print)
April 1, 2015, Wednesday

FICTION; General

Debut author Zilelian’s story follows a family of Armenian immigrants
struggling to adapt to the American way of life while also contending
with traditional coming-of-age conflicts. While navigating issues
of immigration and cultural assimilation, the family struggles with
its own inner dysfunction: two parents embroiled in an unhealthy
relationship, a missing daughter, and another daughter desperately
grappling with the disappearance of her sister. As more characters
become involved in the drama of finding Araxi, the family is forced
to begin communicating.

Though painful, this communication breaks open new opportunities for
growth. Told in third person, the novel shifts to a new character in
each chapter, allowing for the slowing of time and a careful view of
how each character’s life is affected by the developing plot. Concrete
details-ragged robes, chipped coffee mugs, leaky toilets, and worn,
old music boxes-bring the domestic landscape to life, offering more
than just a generic suburban family for the reader to hear, see, and
sometimes smell. Voices are unique, from the annoyed, depression-dulled
voice of the mother to the feeble, yet intelligent, voice of Sophie,
the younger daughter. Sophie’s fascination with Araxi and her sister’s
companion, Cecile, comes through in her thoughts: “She pictured them
walking alongside each other, Araxi with her long dark hair and brown
eyes, hands shoved in her pockets, and Cecile with her shoulders thrown
back, and her waist length blond hair tied in a high ponytail.” The
story shifts back and forth from the narrative of the family, aching
for information about Araxi, to the journey of Araxi and Cecile, both
of whom have run away and must face obstacles on the road, at motels,
and with one another. A lyrical description of a family’s search for
their daughter and for their humanity.

Publication Date: 2015-03-03 Publisher: BH Publications Pte Ltd.

Stage: Indie ISBN: 978-0-9905732-2-7 Price: $14.95 Author: Zilelian,
Aida