Hope

About the Book

The year is 1902 and the sultan’s army is terrorizing the country, soldiers riding into villages, swords brandished, rounding up young girls for the sultan’s harem.  Mitch and his wife, Marig, fear for their two daughters, Nofina, 14, and Simy, 12.  After several attempted kidnappings, the family flees.  Constantly on the move, they find refuge in churches across Armenia, as do others scattered by the sultan’s army.

The family makes their way to the mountains, which is soon invaded, forcing them to cross into Persia.  When civil war breaks out, the family is forced to leave again.  Hearing about America from a man named Abdiel, the family decides to try their luck.  They reach the Mediterranean, where they are surprised to find Abdiel again.  He helps them secure passage America.

The year is now 1909.  Having settled in New York, the family is terrified after reading a newspaper report from their homeland; 23,000 Armenians have been massacred by the Turks and Kurds.  The family picks up again, moving inland to St. Louis and changing their names – Mitch to Michael, Marig to Mary, Nofina to Athena, and Simy to Liz – in yet another attempt to outrun the spectre of persecution.

“No one must know who they were or where they lived”, Once more they left at night...

Influenced by all those who have been forced to leave their beloved homelands for political or other reasons, who have suffered displacement and death, Hope is both a witnessing and a prayer for the less fortunate people who can do nothing but try to find a place to call home for a while.

About the Author

The second of 14 children, Marie Ball is 83 years old.  She has three children, all girls, four grandchildren and two great grand-grandchildren.  Her passion has always been the clothing business.  She worked in several clothing factories as a seamstress and as a pattern maker of wedding and party dresses.  Hope is her first book.