SAN FRANCISCO — Armenian International Women’s Association-San Francisco (AIWA-SF) members mixed and mingled with friends and family of Meghedi Melody Nazarian at a private residence in the Bay Area in December for the official launch of Hearts of Armenia, a picture book filled with 87 hearts captured by Meghedi during her stay in Armenia from April through October 2015. The book also includes inspirational quotes within its 48 pages. Half the proceeds are donated to AIWA-SF to support the Women’s Support Center of Yerevan dedicated to helping women and families follow their heart.
It was not only an event to debut the book; it was also a celebration of love and friendship. “The Hearts of Armenia launch party was just as heartfelt and beautiful as the book itself. It was a gathering of Armenian women who wanted to support both the author and the Women’s Support Center in Armenia. It was lovely to hear from Meghedi about her emotional journey and how the book came to life in our Motherland. It made my heart smile,” said one guest, Lori Aintablian.
Meleeneh DerHartunian shared her thoughts, too: “The highlight of the Hearts of Armenia launch event was when Meghedi read the foreword from her book aloud to the entire group. Meghedi’s emotional, spiritual and physical journey in Armenia are not only manifested in those words, but also in the unique images she has captured in her book, allowing readers to travel side-by-side with her with the turn of each page.”
AIWA-SF President Christine Soussa also spoke, telling the crowd about her first trip to Armenia over the summer and how the meeting with Nazarian and the partnership with Hearts of Armenia came about. “Meghedi was telling me about her vision, and whether it was serendipity, everything happened quickly and naturally. I’m really happy you’re seeing your vision through and that of all the organizations you can partner with, you picked AIWA-SF,” she said.
Before heading home with a copy of the book, guests enjoyed appetizers, including Yeragooyn heart-shaped cookies made by Nanor Darakjian, and sipped on wine, donated by Soussa. More book signings are in the works for Los Angeles, Yerevan, Boston and New York, but can also be purchases online at heartsofarmenia.com.
