ARMENIAN DOCTOR IN TURKEY, AN ~Garabed Hatcherian: My Smyrna Ordeal of 1922

By Garabed Hatcherian, Translated by Dora Sakayan

Dr. Hatcherian's journal is a chronicle of the Smyrna catastrophe in 1922. It is written in the general form of a diary, chronicling the most significant events in Smyrna in September 1922. The narrator's thoughts and concerns during these events are recorded on a day-by-day basis. The manuscript is comprised of 52 tightly-written pages, covering the period between August 28, 1922 and April 7, 1923.

The journal can be broken down into three distinct structural segments: Introduction, Story, Epilogue. The Introduction reports on the twelve ominous days between August 28 and September 8, preceding the 1922 Smyrna catastrophe. The events are presented in their gradual development, preparing the reader for the central episodes in the journal.

The Story, which describes the Hatcherian family's last two weeks in Smyrna, encompasses the time from September 9 to September 24. This section is a detailed account of what Dr. Hatcherian and his family of eight endured in those fifteen horrifying days. The Epilogue depicts the seven months (September 25, 1922 to April 7, 1923) that the refugee Hatcherian family spent on the Greek island of Mitilini.

Arod Books (1997)