In Conversation: "Kaleidoscope of Destiny" with Sarah Ignatius @ Central
Join the Cranston Public Library and the RI Holocaust and Genocide Education Commission (RIHGEC) on Tuesday, December 1, 2026, at 6:30 PM for a reading and book signing with Sarah Ignatius, author of The Kaleidoscope of Destiny, in conversation with Pauline Getzoyan, chair of the RIHGEC.
Kaleidoscope of Destiny is a coming-of-age novel set during the Armenian genocide, bringing an often-overlooked chapter of history to life. In it, fourteen-year-old Arakel is focused on the journey he’ll take with his two best friends, one Turkish and the other Armenian, on the Silk Road to China in two years. His life is torn apart when Turkish officials arrest almost all of the Armenian men in his town, including his father and older brother, and order nearly all of the remaining Armenians into exile in the desert amidst rumors of massacres. In a desperate struggle to survive, Arakel must rely on people of different faiths and backgrounds: Bedouins, Kurds, Arab camel drivers, Turks, Germans, even a wandering dervish—people he considers enemies—but how can he trust them? "A beautiful and poignant novel that humanizes the Armenian genocide for a contemporary audience." (Kirkus Reviews)
Please register for an email reminder prior to the event and to allow for adequate seating. If you require an accommodation or service to fully participate, please contact access@cranstonlibrary.org at least 7 days prior to the event.
- Date:
- Tuesday, December 1, 2026
- Time:
- 6:30pm - 7:30pm
- Time Zone:
- Eastern Time - US & Canada (change)
- Contact:
- Dave Bartos; davebartos@cranstonlibrary.org; 401-943-9080 x3
- Location:
- James T. Giles Community Room
- Branch:
- Central Library
- Audience:
- Adults
- Categories:
- Author Event Community History
Before publishing her debut novel, The Kaleidoscope of Destiny, Sarah Ignatius worked for many years as a human rights lawyer representing people seeking political asylum after fleeing from persecution throughout the world and as a nonprofit executive director. She is of Armenian heritage, born in Massachusetts, and has also called California, Washington, D.C., Montana, and Washington state home. Sarah has received recognition from the New England Society of Children’s Books Writers & Illustrators, the National League of American Pen Women, and Glimmer Train. She was also selected as a Somerville Arts Council Literature Artist Fellow. She earned her B.A. from Stanford University and her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. She lives in Massachusetts with her family.
Pauline Getzoyan is chair of the RI Holocaust and Genocide Education Commission and co-chair of the RI branch of The Genocide Education Project. She has been teaching about genocide and advocating for genocide education for more than two decades. She also has been an adjunct professor of English at the Community College of Rhode Island for more than 20 years.