Bloodvine is the dramatic tale of a man's struggle to come to terms with the inexplicable episodes, gaps, and secrets that plague his family. Set in the 1950s against the backdrop of the three-thousand-year-old Armenian culture, Bloodvine is a gripping story of love and betrayal. Two half-brothers, Andy and Abe, inherit forty acres of prime vineyard in California's Central Valley. Fertile as the land is, it is not enough to support their families, and what ensues is a riveting interchange of accusations and, ultimately, betrayal.

Reviews

"[An] absorbing debut novel....[Janigian] brings immediacy and naturalism to the story of the Armenians who immigrated to California."—Washington Post

"...a touching and very real story..."—Kirkus Reviews

"Janigian invites comparison to William Saroyan."—San Francisco Chronicle

"Aris Janigian is a strong, welcome new voice."—Los Angeles Times

"Bloodvine is a novel as dark as Turkish coffee, pungent as soil turned for planting, and as mysterious as only a family story can be. Add Aris Janigian to the harvest of California writers nurtured by the harsh and bountiful Central Valley; he knows its sorrows and its sweetness."—D. J. Waldie, author of Holy Land: A Suburban Memoir

Awards

Finalist for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing