The Hawk Pays Tribute to Descendents of Genocide Survivors

COCONUT GROVE, Fla. — At 88 years old, Shahen Guiragossian has turned a lifetime of memories into a lasting legacy. His debut memoir, The Hawk, is more than one man’s story — it’s a bridge between generations, carrying the spirit of Armenian resilience forward for those who will inherit it next.

Born to survivors of the Armenian Genocide, Guiragossian grew up in a home filled with love, silence, and the weight of unspoken history. Through The Hawk, he finally gives voice to that inheritance — tracing how his parents’ endurance shaped his own journey and how storytelling itself can become an act of remembrance.

“My parents never spoke much about what they endured,” he says. “But I realized that by writing, I could keep their story — and our people’s story — alive.”

Both deeply personal and universally human, The Hawk invites readers to remember where they come from while finding hope in who they can still become. Written in his late eighties, Guiragossian’s memoir reminds the Armenian diaspora and younger generations that it’s never too late — or too early — to tell your story.

Shahen was born in Aleppo, Syria in 1937 and grew up in Beirut. His mother, an infant, lost her parents in the genocide, whereas his father, in his late teens, lost his father in the genocide.

Shahen and his wife, Sally Ann, have four children. Tragically, a fifth child died in a car accident when he was 16.

He had an entrepreneurial career spanning decades from car mechanic to business owner.

Proceeds from The Hawk support the Armenian Relief Society, in honor of his heritage, and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, in memory of his nephew lost in the September 11 tragedy.

The Hawk is available now on Amazon in paperback, hardcover, and eBook formats. Those interest in the book can also visit www.thehawkmemoir.com.

Guiragossian is an Armenian-American author and storyteller based in Coconut Creek. A lifelong dreamer and entrepreneur, he channels his reflections on struggle, success, and survival into The Hawk — a story meant to inspire and endure. When he isn’t writing, he spends time with music and reflection — the two companions that have carried him through every chapter of life.

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