The Hundred Year Walk

The Hundred Year Walk traces a dual narrative - the author's retracing of her grandfather's escape from the Armenian genocide, and her grandfather's original journey through the Syrian desert in 1915. The story draws from her grandfather Stepan's detailed journals and accounts, which documented his experiences as an Armenian living under Ottoman rule. Dawn Anahid MacKeen alternates between past and present, reconstructing her grandfather's path while undertaking her own modern-day journey through Turkey and Syria. Her research includes interviews with descendants of Arabs who helped Armenians during that period, along with historical records and family documents. The book combines elements of investigative journalism, memoir, and historical narrative to examine both personal and collective memory. Through parallel journeys separated by a century, the work explores themes of survival, intergenerational trauma, and the persistence of historical memory.

Readers describe this as a gripping account that weaves together MacKeen's grandfather's survival story with her own journey retracing his steps. Many note the personal connection makes the historical events more accessible and impactful. Readers appreciated: - The dual narrative structure connecting past and present - Detailed research and use of primary sources - Clear explanations of complex historical context - The intimate, first-person perspective on the Armenian genocide Common criticisms: - Some found the modern-day travel sections less compelling - A few readers wanted more historical background - The pacing slows in certain chapters Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.4/5 (2,300+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (450+ ratings) BookBrowse: 4.5/5 Reader quote: "The author's journey to retrace her grandfather's footsteps brings an immediacy to historical events that could otherwise feel distant and abstract." - Goodreads reviewer

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🔹 Author Dawn MacKeen spent over a decade researching her grandfather's survival story, including retracing his route through Turkey, Syria, and the Deir ez-Zor desert. 🔹 The book interweaves two parallel narratives: her grandfather Stepan Miskjian's firsthand account of surviving the Armenian genocide and the author's modern-day journey following his path. 🔹 Stepan Miskjian kept detailed journals during his ordeal, documenting names, dates, and locations, which were later translated from Armenian and formed the foundation for this book. 🔹 The desert of Deir ez-Zor, where much of the story takes place, became known as "the graveyard of the Armenians" during the genocide, with some historians estimating that up to 400,000 Armenians died there. 🔹 The book won the Housatonic Book Award and was named a Best Book of the Year by The Oregonian and a Recommended Book by The New York Times.