Dreams of Bread and Fire: A Novel

Kricorian's second novel is a beautifully etched tale of romance, idealism, and the quest for self-identity by a writer praised for her "admirable economy and grace" (The Baltimore Sun). Poetic and assured, it is the story of a young American woman whose half-Jewish, half-American heritage seems a mere footnote to her own identity until the dark shadows of history propel her into a quest for her long dead father, and a search for the clues of a nearly forgotten genocide. While studying in Paris, Ani Silver receives a letter from her New England boyfriend ending their relationship. Thus begins a series of romantic misadventures, culminating in her reconnection with a childhood friend. Their shared preoccupation with their Armenian heritage provides Ani with a new facet to her own identity--even as she begins to suspect that her friend has a secret--and dangerous--identity. Funny and heartbreaking to its bold and exquisite conclusion. Dreams of Bread and Fire is an irresistible novel of passion, ideals, and the temptations of trying to outrun our origins.