Puppet engine

This story takes us to the time of the First World War with the tale of the Armenian boy Mehran who arrives in Aleppo in the Levant after a journey of displacement from his hometown in Mardin, Turkey—the Ottoman Empire at that time—through stations of misery during which he loses his family. Mehran's journey ends at an orphanage in Aleppo where he awaits a new life. He tries to adapt by practicing his favorite hobby, moving leather puppets. With shadow puppets and entertaining theatrical shows, he amuses and makes his orphanage companions laugh. Mehran meets the orphaned Armenian girl Kohar and promises her to restore her lost smile from her journey of displacement from her homeland. But soon, the circumstances of war separate them. This time, Mehran's asylum journey heads to Jerusalem, at the end of the Ottoman Empire. Mehran, the puppet mover, is the story of a ninety-year-old grandfather who narrates to his granddaughter forgotten stations of his lively life, and the story of the victory of hope and life for the Armenian people. Author: Huda Al-Shawa Age group: Youth from 13 years old