The Gendarme by Mark T. Mustian
The Gendarme
By Mark T. Mustian
Completed September 14, 2010
The Gendarme is the debut novel by Mark T. Mustian and features a little-known aspect of World War I history - the genocide of Armenian people living in Turkey. For me, when a writer casts a spotlight on an aspect of history worth knowing about, I give him my fullest accolades. I walked away from The Gendarme with new knowledge and appreciation for what the Armenians endured in the early 1900's.
The story is narrated by 92-year-old Emmet, who is suffering from a brain tumor that results in vivid dreams from his youth. Interestingly, he dreams in chronological order, so each time he sleeps, Emmett remembers another nugget from his past. He realizes he was a "gendarme" - a Turkish guard who escorted Armenian refugees out of Turkey into Syria. The conditions of the march were horrible with many Armenians dying along the way. He becomes entranced by an Armenian girl, and as they spend more time together, they begin a friendship and eventually fall in love.
The flashback/dream stories were well told and vivid with detail. Emmet was not perfect, and Mustian made no attempt to make him into a hero. The modern aspects of Emmet's life, though, felt very contrived and unbelievable to me. The story may have been better as a reflection of Emmet's past without the complications of his modern life. The ending especially was unrealistic and left me dissatisfied. Sometimes, it's better to not end a story with a pretty bow on it.
With that said, I would recommend The Gendarme for its historical research and storyline. Mustain wrote well and kept my interest. I will be curious to read what others think about his debut book. (
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