Book Review: *The Gendarme* by Mark Mustian

The Gendarme by Mark Mustian

Back-of-the-book blurb:  Emmett Conn is an old man, near the end of his life.  A World War I veteran, he’s been affected by memory loss since being injured during the war. To those around him, he’s simply a confused man, fading in and out of senility. But what they don’t know is that Emmett has been beset by memories, of events he and others have denied or purposely forgotten.

In Emmett’s dreams he’s a gendarme, escorting Armenians from Turkey. A young woman among them, Araxie, captivates and enthralls him. But then the trek ends, the war separates them.  Seven decades later, as his grasp on the boundaries between past and present begins to break down, Emmett sets out on a final journey, to sift through these dreams and bring closure.

She Is Too Fond of Books’ review:  The Gendarme has all the elements I love in a novel – I learn a bit about a particular time and/or place while being held by an interesting plot and/or characters.  In this case, I visited Turkey during WWI, as thousands of Armenians were marched across the country to Syria.  Only a fraction survived this Armenian genocide.

The novel is told in the first person, both the present day and the flashbacks of memory are told in Emmett’s voice.  This is very effective, as Mustian gives Emmett a confused but determined demeanor in the present, and a naive yet single-minded attitude in dream-induced flashbacks as “Ahmet Kahn.”  These personality traits are shown in his choice of words, actions, and interactions with others.  Here, Ahmet justifies the role he plays in the dream (p49):

From this distance the deportees again appear sheeplike, the gendarmes canine in their nipping and circling.  We are shepherds, whether they accept it or not, protecting these people , moving them for their own sake.  If we were inhumane, we would have simply slaughtered them all – it would have been so much easier.  The fact that some of the young and old will expire is true of any long transport.

Emmett, at age 90, begins to have seizures and dreams that he is unable to escape.  These dreams come into his waking hours – are they dreams?  False memories he concocts to try to make sense of his past?  Or true, but foggy, memories? 

In the present, Emmett struggles to keep control of his life as his health, and perhaps his mental capacity, decline.  His relationships with his adult daughter and his grandson are interesting and realistic.  He and his daughter have been somewhat estranged, yet she shows that she cares for him greatly.  His grandson, Wilfred is a bit of a mystery; Emmett seems to want to “do over” his parenting on the next generation, repenting for the imperfections of his past.

Mark Mustian weaves a story of the past and present.  His novel is a lesson in forgetting and denial, remembering and repairing.  While discrimination and outright violence due to race, religion, and nationality still, sadly, exist, Mustian makes a point that even one voice in opposition to this treatment can make a difference.

The history of the Armenian genocide is touched on only enough that the reader understands what is happening; the background to the conflict is not fully explored (although a few scenes are graphic and violent, bringing the conflict to a personal level).  Although I don’t believe a deeper explanation is needed for the reader to enjoy and be touched by this novel, it has certainly made me curious to learn more about that particular history.

About the author:  Mark Mustian lives with his family in Tallahassee, where is an attorney, active in local politics.  More information about the author, a schedule of readings and other events, and a reading group guide can be found on Mark Mustian’s website.