Under the Light of the Moon: New book covers the Armenian Genocide for children

On Saturday, June 23, author Laura Michael returned to her home city of Cranston to hold a book signing for “Under the Light of the Moon” at Barrington Books Retold in Garden City,

It is a children’s early chapter book that is appropriate for ages 7-12 and focuses on the Armenian Genocide with age appropriate writing.

“I had a nonstop line to sign books for most of the time,” said Michael. “I would say there were around 40 people who came, and I sold and autographed approximately 50 books.”

Under the Light of the Moon synopsis:

It is 1924, the end of the Armenian Genocide in Turkey, and ten year old Lucine has found safety at an orphanage in Greece. She doesn’t know if her parents have survived and wonders if she’ll ever see them again, and she isn’t alone: there are hundreds of thousands of orphans just like Lucine struggling to survive, their stories making headlines worldwide. In response, the United States forms a special organization called Near East Relief, which provides food, clothing, shelter and safety for these children.

Jackie Coogan, one of America’s most famous child actors, uses his celebrity power to support NER, but soon realizes that there are some things in life that are out of our control. Lucine appreciates the help of these kind strangers, but there’s still something missing: more than anything, she wishes to be reunited with her family. As time passes, her future becomes more and more uncertain.

Based on the real experiences of the orphans of the Armenian Genocide, including the author’s great grandparents, Under the Light of the Moon is a story of hope and survival during a dark time in world history. The true events of young Jackie’s volunteer work remind us that anyone—no matter how young or old—can make a difference in the world.