Rose by the Sea

Written by Rebecca Rose Mooradian · Illustrated by Myo Yim

A girl flees her war-torn village, seeking hope across distant lands.

4.4/5 Goodreads · 90 ratings

48 pages· 895 words· Est. 7 min read-aloud

$19.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Dzovinar's peaceful life in Armenia shatters when soldiers invade, leaving her and her sister alone. Forced to flee, they embark on a perilous journey across deserts and oceans, from France to America. Amidst loss and fear, Dzovinar clings to hope, striving to bloom anew in a foreign land. Will she find a place to call home, or remain forever a rose by the sea?

From the publisher

Four starred reviews! Based on the true story of the author’s great-grandmother, this “affectingly gentle” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) picture book about surviving the Armenian Genocide sparkles with hope and heart even amid unspeakable tragedy–perfect for readers of The Proudest Blue and Yuyi Morales’s Dreamers. Rose is what my parents call me: Dzovinar, their rose by the sea. Dzovinar (“zill-ven-ar”) lives with her family in Armenia, where the hillside is dotted with sheep and the apricot trees bloom every spring. She loves her home–but one day, soldiers storm her village, and she returns to an empty house. Their parents gone, Dzovinar and her sister are forced to flee. Afraid and alone, they journey across the desert, then over the ocean: first to France and then to America, where they hope a new future will bloom. Changed but not lost, Dzovinar takes root in a new land…forever a rose by the sea.

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