Our Cross, a collection of short stories by M. Salpi, was recently released in Los Angeles, USA.

Originally printed in 1921 in France under the title Mer Khachu (Our Cross), the book has been into English and published as the sixth volume of the Genocide Library, reported Asbarez.

Translated by Ishkhan Jinbashian, Our Cross includes reproductions of illustrations from the book’s Armenian original.
M. Salpi is the pen name of Aram Sahakian, who was a doctor, writer, journalist, and political activist. His short stories, all based on actual persons and events, recount the personal experiences of Armenians from various walks of life, who grappled with the ravages of the Genocide.

As a medical officer in the Turkish army during the First World War, Sahakian met many Armenian soldiers and officers who recounted to him the plight of their families following the deportations and massacres of their communities at the hands of the Turkish government.

Later, while serving as a resident doctor at the Armenian refugee camp in Port Said, Egypt, as well as during his assignments and travels in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria, Sahakian met numerous Genocide survivors who sought to rebuild their lives and reunite with loved ones. Sahakian found their experiences at turns heartbreaking and inspiring, and went on to depict them in his writings.