A knock at the door. A conversation in whispers. Mama’s voice was low and urgent. “You must leave with the others,” she pleaded with me and my sisters.

What is it like to walk away from your home? To leave behind everything and everyone you’ve ever known? Poetic, sensitive, and based on a true family history, Lost Words follows a young Armenian boy who sets out to find refuge to the day he finally finds the courage to share his story.

“It is difficult to find the words to describe the type of loss a genocide can cause to a young child. I’ve been looking for something similar for my own son. This picture book is a good start to help explain loss and raise the many questions necessary to start the conversation.”—Serj Tankian, Activist, Artist,

and Lead Vocalist for System of a Down