"It took only two days to devour Descendants of Noahand I have actually re-read a number of favorite stories. I look at Descendants as chicken soup for the Armenian Soul."

--Ara A. Jeknavoiran, Chelmsford, Massachusetts

"Barbara Ghazarian is some kind of magician to elicit these stories from such a diversity of people. Each story, from the two-liner Reverse Assimilation to a priestly narrative on bringing home St. Gregory's flame, is a novel, a biography, a history, a journal, a sermon, a newscast in itself-apart from all the others. The storytellers speak of their experiences with reverence-even of pilaf and bazaars. Together they reach out to the reader in one voice and become one vibrant person speaking from everyone of Apostolic faith."

--Mariam Kochakian, Meuthen, Massachusetts

"We can learn from the life experiences of others and in this sense Descendants of Noah offers a bundle of wisdom. Although these stories are from Armenians, the ethnic background is not overdone, so that most readers will have a great reading experience."

--Judge's critique, Writer's Digest

"I thoroughly enjoy Descendants of Noah and I am more enriched as a pastor because of it."

--Fr. Stepanos Doukoukjian, pastor of St. Peter Armenian Church, Watervliet, New York

"I have been reading Descendants of Noah in short intervals-and find it very effective and powerful in its simplicity and candor."

--Ana Flores, Wood River Junction, Rhode Island

"The book was very emotional for me."

--Janet Davidian, Jericho, New York

"I loved Barbara's book-the way she got quotations and sayings from various people everywhere."

--Harry Parsekian, Watertown, Massachusetts

Armenian stories full of faith, heart

"Descendants of Noah: Christian Stories from the Armenian Heart" (Mayreni Publishing. $14.95) compiled and edited by Barbara Ghazarian.

Local connection: Pacific Grove resident Barbara Ghazarian is passionate about her Armenian heritage and lectures from coast-to-coast on Armenian-related topics. She also is the author of a cookbook titled "Simply Armenian: Naturally Healthy Ethnic Cooking Made Easy."

Content: Grounded in the unique traditions and practices of the world's oldest Christian nation, Armenian Christian storytellers offer modern insights and living examples of faith and heritage that will inspire all readers seeking a richer, fuller life, no matter what their ethnic backgrounds or religious affiliations.

The stories collected here tell the tale of a tiny Christian nation's struggle to survive. Divided into two sections, Faith and Heritage, this paperback contains numerous short narratives from a wide range of Armenian Americans. These pieces highlight a moment, an event or an aspect in the individual's spiritual journey that helped lift the person above the hardships he encountered in everyday life.

What's new: The Second Edition of this book adds a study and workshop guide and indexes to help find stories and encourage individual thought and group discussion.

Author quote: "I believe that witnessing someone else's faith can be a powerful and lasting experience. I hope that witnessing this tiny Christian nation's resiliency will, at the very least, flood your heart with awe-inspired respect."

Audience: Those of Armenian descent or interested in Armenian culture will find this a fascinating book. Anyone teaching Sunday school, practicing daily devotions, or taking part in Bible Study groups also will find the Armenians' unique perspective enriching and this user- friendly collection a welcome addition to their curriculum or devotional library.

By SILAS SPAETH
The Salinas Californian, December 14, 2005

Area artists share words, photographs

Monterey Peninsula resident Barbara Ghazarian has released the second edition of Descendants of Noah (Mayreni Publishing, $14.95). Subtitled "Christian Stories from the Armenian Heart," this collection of short narratives presents commentary that various people have shared with Ghazarian about their faith and Armenian heritage.

Grouped into two broad categories, faith and heritage, the material Ghazarian has collected ranges in length from a couple of paragraphs to two or three pages. More than 100 people from all over the country contributed to the book, which offers a short study guide.

Bob Walch
Monterey Herald, December 25, 2005