Coming of Age

Stories of growing up, first experiences, and transformation.

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My Name Is Aram

My Name Is Aram

William Saroyan

My Name Is Aram is a collection of interconnected stories narrated by Aram Garoghlanian, a young Armenian American boy growing up in California’s San Joaquin Valley. Through his observations of family members, neighbours, and fellow members of the Armenian immigrant community, Aram discovers the contradictions and wonders of adult life. His relatives are often eccentric, proud, impulsive, and fiercely attached to their heritage, providing him with lessons about generosity, ambition, family loyalty, and human imperfection. Saroyan combines humour with tenderness, portraying a community attempting to preserve its cultural identity while adapting to life in a new country. The stories celebrate the ordinary experiences that shape childhood and the resilience of immigrant families, capturing how language, memory, and shared traditions help maintain a connection to ancestral roots across generations.

Gardens of Silihdar

Gardens of Silihdar

The Gardens of Silihdar is a memoir of Zabel Yesayan’s childhood in Constantinople, offering a vivid portrait of Armenian family and community life during the late nineteenth century. Through memories of her neighbourhood, relatives, gardens, and everyday encounters, Yesayan recreates a world shaped by cultural traditions, social hierarchies, and the tensions of a changing Ottoman Empire. Her recollections capture the curiosity and independence of a young girl gradually discovering the complexities of the society around her. Beyond its intimate family scenes, the memoir preserves a picture of Armenian life in Constantinople before the devastating events that would transform the community. Yesayan combines personal reflection with cultural memory, exploring childhood, belonging, and the importance of remembering a world that political upheaval would eventually threaten to erase.

About this theme

Books: 2
Countries: 30

Countries with this theme

Antigua and Barbuda

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Central African Republic