Never Hide from the Devil: N.T. McQueen’s Compelling Tale of the Defense of Van

Then, referring to the fact that the Ottomans drafted young Armenian men into the army (where they were abused and even murdered at will), comes the chilling sentence: “They already took our sons.” Soon, the market closes for good, and it becomes obvious that war is about to break out. Armenians have been clever and have armed themselves this time and are able to resist, though both Suren’s family and others experience great losses, both physical and material. Women also play an important role in the defense of Van, including Suren’s mother and grandmother, and his sisters Araxie and Siroun, who undertake perilous assignments during the siege.

April 22 to April 24 represent the so-called “Great Resistance,” followed by the events at Tabriz Gate and the heroic final battle. In one chapter, Aram Manoukian sends Raz and Nshan, mere boys, to defuse bombs with their bare hands. The title “Never Hide from the Devil” refers metaphorically to the idea that it is better to look at the enemy straight on and fight him than to live in fear. More specifically, in Chapter 56, which bears this title, amidst a long disquisition about Suren’s mother and Aunt Yeva, Uncle Tarzi muses: “We are all Ottomans, but one wants to destroy the other. Same hair. Two arms. Two legs. They have two eyes but see different things. One heart, but feel different emotions.” Then he grabs Suren and tells him poignantly:

Never forget who you are,” he says, holding up one finger. “And never, never, hide from the devil.” He leans forward, pointing his finger at me. A tear slips from his eye and disappears into his beard. The famous fighter Tarzi? Crying?” Promise me!” he barks, making me flinch. “Yes, sir,” I reply.

Much of the novel’s subtext, in fact, revolves around an idea that is difficult for the young Suren to grasp at first, and which has been one of the tragedies of Armenian-Turkish history: that two peoples could be so intertwined — and in a sense so similar — and yet end up, after so many centuries, as bitter enemies.

Perhaps the most touching — and telling — scene occurs when both Suren and Hamza find themselves confronted by a Turkish gendarme. If the latter gets his hands on Suren, then he will most definitely be killed. Hamza intervenes one last time for his blood brother and screams for him to run away, although in warning an Armenian he too has likely signed his own death warrant. It is the last time the two will ever see each other, as far as the reader knows.

The novel ends on a positive note, as the Armenians have prevailed — at least for now. As students of history are aware, Van would soon be evacuated, and the Armenians forced to retreat northward toward the Russian Empire, in the direction of what would later become the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. As the author notes in the afterword, this tale is based on historical facts but does not recount an actual family or specific events. The novel is not literary in tone, but it is well written and carefully cadenced throughout, with an epic quality that would lend itself well to the screen. There are many splendid scenes that cannot be summarized in a short review. N.T. McQueen has a strong sense of plot, and the characters are well developed. And given that the novel is written from the side of an Armenian family it cannot help but at times dip into stereotyping both sides. Despite these minor criticisms, Never Hide from the Devil remains a gripping page-turner that vividly brings to life a period at the outset of the Armenian Genocide that might otherwise fade from public memory, especially for general readers. That McQueen does so with such brio and vigor is to his credit.