In this Deeply Moving Debut, a Close-Knit Armenian-American Family Grapples with the Aftermath of Losing One of their Own
Outside Detroit on the island of Gross Ile, the Kurkjians receive news that Mari, the eldest of their youngest generation, has swum into the depths of Lake Michigan with no intent of returning to shore—the consequences of which drag out a deeply rooted pain passed down from generations before.
More than a century earlier, Gregor, the great-grandfather and patriarch of the Kurkjian family, survived the Armenian Genocide after fighting for his freedom atop Musa Dagh. Decades later and miles away, Gregor’s epic mythos is inherited by his family as they navigate living in its shadow. As the Kurkjians now struggle with their new, devastating loss, secrets and shortcomings rise to the surface, forcing each relative to decide where their own story fits in the narrative of their family’s fraught history.
For fans of Tommy Orange’s “There, There,” Thao Thai’s “Banyan Moon,” and Jeffrey Eugenides’ epic “Middlesex,” “Waterline” explores the complex beauty of diaspora, the weight of inherited trauma, and the echoes of the Genocide on contemporary Armenian life. This is a searing portrait of a family afloat in grief and the perseverance needed to rise above.
“A gripping journey through time, Mrjoian brings readers deep into the heart of the Armenian Genocide and its ripples across generations. . . . ‘Waterline’ is a must-read—intense, moving, and unforgettable,” said Morgan Talty, national bestselling author of “Night of the Living Rez” and “Fire Exit.”
“A moving portrait of grief and the shadows of silence,” said Vanessa Chan, bestselling author of “The Storm We Made.”
“’Waterline’ is smart and beautiful and breathtaking in its Rashomon-like chronicle of the ripple effect of a young woman’s suicide. The depth of Aram Mrjoian’s exploration of an extended family in crisis is stunning, and his insights into grief and loss are profound. I was awed by this first novel,” said Chris Bohjalian, author of The New York Times bestselling novel, “The Sandcastle Girls.”
Aram Mrjoian is the editor-in-chief of The Rumpus, managing editor of Michigan Quarterly Review, and a 2022 Creative Armenia-AGBU Fellow. He has previously worked as an editor at the Chicago Review of Books, the Southeast Review, and TriQuarterly. Mrjoian is also the editor of the anthology “We Are All Armenian: Voices from the Diaspora.”
Mrjoian’s writing has appeared in the Guardian, Runner’s World, Literary Hub, Catapult, West Branch, Electric Literature, Gulf Coast, Boulevard, Joyland, Longreads, and many other publications. He holds an MFA in creative writing from Northwestern University and a PhD in creative writing from Florida State University. He lives in Michigan.
“Waterline” is set to release on June 3rd, 2025 by HarperVia. Support the International Armenian Literary Alliance’s programming by pre-ordering it on their Bookshop storefront.
The International Armenian Literary Alliance is a nonprofit organization launched in 2021 that supports and celebrates writers by fostering the development and distribution of Armenian literature in the English language. A network of Armenian writers and their champions, IALA gives Armenian writers a voice in the literary world through creative, professional, and scholarly advocacy. Learn more by visiting the IALA website.
