Forty Days of Musa Dagh

Musa Dagh is a 1915 Armenian village on the slopes of Musa Dagh, and Gabriel has returned to his childhood home. The government orders round-ups and deportations, so the villagers decide to fight back. Franz Werfel's 1933 epic novel, "Forty Days," is a talismanic story of resistance in the face of hatred and has become a seminal novel of the Armenian genocide. It will invade your senses and keep the blood pounding.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 912 pages
Publication date: 04 January 2018
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Musa Dagh stood beyond the world, an impenetrable fortress untouched by any storm that might attempt to breach its defenses. It was a place of sanctuary, a refuge where the people could find safety and security amidst the chaos that engulfed the surrounding region.

It is 1915, and Gabriel has returned to his childhood home, an Armenian village on the slopes of Musa Dagh. However, the world around him is changing rapidly, and the threat of violence and persecution looms large. The Turkish government has ordered round-ups and deportations, targeting the Armenian population and seeking to erase their existence from the land.

Faced with this imminent danger, the villagers of Musa Dagh decide to take a stand. They form a resistance movement, determined to protect their home and their way of life at all costs. The novel, written by Franz Werfel in 1933, is a searing portrayal of the Armenian genocide. It vividly brings to life the horrors and atrocities that the Armenian people faced during that tragic period, and it has become a talismanic story of resistance in the face of hatred.

"Forty Days" is a novel that will invade your senses and keep the blood pounding. Once you have read it, the memories will stay with you forever. The New York Times has praised it as "a masterpiece of historical fiction," and it has been translated by Geoffrey Dunlop and James Reidel.

The novel follows the journey of a group of Armenian villagers as they prepare for a forty-day siege against the Turkish forces. They gather together, pooling their resources and their courage, to defend their home and their families. The tension is palpable, and the reader is drawn into the heart of the conflict.

Through the characters of the villagers, Werfel explores the depths of human resilience and the power of community. He shows how the people of Musa Dagh refused to be silenced or defeated, and how they found strength in each other even in the face of overwhelming adversity.

The novel also sheds light on the broader context of the Armenian genocide, providing a historical and political backdrop to the events that unfolded. It explores the rise of nationalism in Europe, the Ottoman Empire's policies of assimilation, and the complicity of Western powers in the genocide.

"Forty Days" is a powerful and unforgettable novel that will leave you thinking about the human condition and the importance of resistance in the face of injustice. It is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of community, and it will continue to inspire generations to come.

Weight: 620g
Dimension: 181 x 144 x 40 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780241332863