My ancestors were murdered both during the Genocide in Anatolia, and in the violence in the years immediately following. I’m also half Jewish. I count both Germans and Turks as friends, but while I have mostly positive opinions of the modern German state, and have gladly visited the country, I can’t say the same for Turkey. The denial of my family’s history is an open wound.

The stories are painful, and the legacy of that pain affects my family even today. My grandparents saw their family members and community murdered and had to rebuild their lives abroad. My grandmother, toward the end of her life, would weep, recounting the violence she endured, reliving the experience in her decline. These scars can persist across generations.

There are two excellent books I can recommend: 1. Black Dog of Fate, by Peter Balakian 2. They Can Live in the Desert, but Nowhere Else, by Ronald Grigor Suny

The first is more of a first person narrative describing the lingering effects of the genocide across generations in the Balakian family, very poetic. It’s a great read, full of life, and poignant in its portrayal of inter-generational pain.

The second is a straight history by a historian, tracing the events, causes, people, etc. It’s a dense, but good read.