A trip to his homeland of Armenian in 2023 changed Cris Patvakanian’s life, and the experience became the inspiration for his first novel.
Growing up in Watertown, Patvakanian was an active member of the Armenian community but a visit to the area where his family came from, Syunik — the southernmost region of Armenia — was eyeopening. He visited the cities of Goris and Kapan.
“I had never been there before, and it was a transformative experience meeting the resilient people there, especially after the 2020 Armenia-Azerbaijan war and all the hardships the veterans and families face now as they now live on the border with Azerbaijan since the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno Karabakh,” Patvakanian said.
He wrote In the Shadow of Mount Khustup, which takes place in Kapan, Syunik, and tells the story of 2020 war Khatchik Lazaryan, who grew up in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, but returned to his native village to work in the mines.
“Little does he know, moving back to the land of his ancestors will reignite a spark with his first love, Siranoush, who is unfortunately engaged,” Patvakanian said. “But, their spark is undeniable, and how they come to terms with this predicament will keep you on the edge until the very last page.”
When he wrote the book, Patvakanian wanted to include details of the local culture, landmarks, and stories of the people of Syunik, including local dialect and cuisine.
“It is a work of fiction, and my first novel, and so far the reception in Armenia has been very good,” he said. “I have spoken about the book with the Public Radio of Armenia and at the American University of Armenia.”
Locally, Patvakanian has given talks about his book at the Watertown Free Public Library, Harvard, and MIT.
“Ultimately, my dream is for this novel to become a screenplay and film, to promote investment, tourism, and a strong Syunik for the world to admire — both Armenians and non-Armenians,” Patvakanian said.
He went through the Watertown Public Schools, and graduated from Watertown High School, and then attended Harvard.
“I am still based in Boston, but have been volunteering and traveling in Armenia for the past year or so,” Patvakanian said. “My main profession is working as a data scientist.”
For more information, follow Cris Patvakanian on Instagram: @khustupi_stverum and @thewritingcris. In the Shadow of Mount Khustup is available here.