A continuation of a family history - hope and a new life is found in America. ‘Destiny of Determination: Faith and Family’ by Cathy Burnham Martin follows on from her first book ‘Destiny of Dreams: Time is Dear’ and continues the story of the Gulumian family as they make it to America after fleeing religious persecution and violence in Armenia. The details of the horror and violence that the family saw are covered in more detail in Book One, but are addressed and referenced in this book. The focus of this instalment of the Gulumian family history is the family’s settling in America, from when Aghavni, Vahram and Hrant arrive on a boat at Ellis Island, up to the moment Hrant’s Granddaughter returns home with her husband to find they have been burgled, the family Armenian wedding ring found safe against the odds. I liked the structure of this story, using a contemporary timing, and the safe discovery of the Armenian wedding ring - the connection to Cassie’s family history - as an opportunity to flash back and follow the Gulumian story. Throughout, speech is used for exposition, to remind the reader of events covered in the first book and give context. This meant that, although the speech didn't always sound natural, I didn’t feel lost following multiple members and generations of a family. Nor did I feel at a disadvantage for not having read the first book. I think that this book could be read as a standalone, however I feel that those that have read ‘Destiny of Dreams’ would find the hope and quiet determination for a better life that is displayed throughout 'Destiny of Determination' that bit sweeter, in light of the horrors and obstacles detailed in the first book. ‘Destiny of Determination: Faith and Family’ is a historical narrative, based on the author’s own family history and benefitting from photographs, maps, lists for further reading and a historic timetable of key dates in the family's history as well as Armenian history. There’s even a collection of family recipes at the end (I have already made a note of the divine sounding Kololik). This is a heartfelt story of family connection, love and hope that spans generations.
Destiny of Determination: Faith and Family Synopsis
"Destiny of Determination: Faith and Family" illuminates the stark realities of immigrants determined to settle in America, a land of opportunity and freedom. While young Hrant’s Armenian story parallels the horrors experienced by far too many cultures in both the past and present, Book 2 in the Destiny Trilogy also highlights the strength and hope that live within survivors of various nightmares. To people who have escaped genocide, prejudice and bigotry can appear as manageable hurdles. More fact than fiction, the writing style of the author (a recovering journalist) is straightforward as if she is speaking directly to the reader. Book 1 found Hrant Gulumian, the youngest child in his family, deeply relating to his granddaughter, Cassie when her nightmares precisely mirrored his traumatic childhood experiences. "Destiny of Dreams: Time Is Dear" shared young Hrant’s harrowingly narrow escape from the mass deportations and attempted annihilation of the Armenians in the waning years of the Ottoman Empire. Despite the hauntingly intense and dramatic truths in Book 1, the Destiny Trilogy resumes with the powerful hope and strength known only to survivors. Book 2 completes Hrant’s voyage and sweeps the reader into his family’s new life in the USA, illuminating the vulnerability of the diaspora and all forced refugees in a new and unfamiliar land filled with language, cultural, and discrimination challenges. (Reading book 1 is not necessary before reading book 2, which stands on its own.) Author Martin celebrates her family’s quiet determination and refusal to lose faith, despite intolerance and numerous economic woes, eerily paralleled in modern society. Set in the 20th Century, her family’s true story shines as a beacon of optimism and comfort for countless other families, hailing from many nations and struggling to endure on the way to freedom and a chance for a better life in this century.
