Waterline

“Mrjoian’s writing about the history, culture, and perseverance of the Armenian people and this unforgettable family in the face of tragedy is nothing short of a triumph.” - Chicago Review of Books“Mrjoian’s debut deftly brings an array of characters to light, illustrating the depth of heartbreak and love in a family struck by misfortune.” - Washington Post“A joyful, heartwarming drama with an intricately woven structure that is effortlessly pleasurable to read.” - Esquire“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.” - Chris Bohjalian, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sandcastle Girls“Waterline is one of those novels that steeps you so thoroughly in the history, grief, love, and tangles of one family that you become a member of it. This is a fierce, tender debut about the way tragedies–both personal and national–echo through the generations.” - Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of I Have Some Questions for You“A gripping journey through time, Mrjoian brings readers deep into the heart of the Armenian Genocide and its ripples across generations. With a voice wholly unique in its style, Mrjoian weaves a powerful tapestry of survival, identity, and resilience, all the while never abandoning what makes this book that rare great novel: feeling, the very thing that each of us knows and that binds us. It is no wonder, then, how Mrjoian is able to find the beauty in the brutality of this history, and in the unyielding spirit of family. Waterline is a must read–intense, moving, and unforgettable.” - Morgan Talty, national bestselling author of Night of the Living Rez and Fire Exit“Waterline is a moving portrait of grief and the shadows of silence. Aram Mrjoian shines a piercing and wise light on the way the members of one Armenian family care for and alienate each other with their secrets, and asks the question, how do we keep loving through unspeakable loss?” - Vanessa Chan, bestselling author of The Storm We Made, a GMA Book Club Pick“A stunning debut and a compelling examination of the ripple effect of the past on the present. Mrjoian pulls us back and forth across decades, across lives, through layers of secrets and sorrows. I couldn’t put it down.” - Susan Muaddi Darraj, author of Behind You Is the Sea“Aram Mrjoian’s Waterline is a deeply moving exploration of a family in distress, keen to the many ways tragedy and hope can both ripple through generations. It’s also a fine addition to the emerging canon of contemporary Michigan literature, perfect for fans of Angela Flournoy’s The Turner House or Ghassan Zeineddine’s Dearborn.” - Matt Bell, author of Appleseed“Nothing short of a triumph.” - Chicago Review of Books“Smart and beautiful and breathtaking in its Rashomon-like chronicle.” - Chris Bohjalian, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sandcastle Girls“A fierce, tender debut about the way tragedies–both personal and national–echo through the generations.” - Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of I Have Some Questions for You“A moving portrait of grief and the shadows of silence. - Vanessa Chan, bestselling author of The Storm We Made“Compelling… . I couldn’t put it down.” - Susan Muaddi Darraj, author of Behind You Is the Sea“A deeply moving exploration of a family in distress.” - Matt Bell, author of Appleseed

Aram Mrjoian teaches creative writing at the University of Michigan, where he is the managing editor of the Michigan Quarterly Review. He is an editor-at-large at the Rumpus and a 2022 Creative Armenia-AGBU Fellow. Aram has previously worked as an editor at the Chicago Review of Books, the Southeast Review, and TriQuarterly. He is also the editor of the anthology We Are All Armenian: Voices from the Diaspora. His writing has appeared in The Guardian, Runner’s World, Literary Hub, Catapult, West Branch, Electric Literature, Gulf Coast, Boulevard, Joyland Magazine, 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.