Mule Cart

Cannons boom as seven-year-old Anoosh climbs into a mule cart and leaves everything behind. Driven from their home in Aintab, Anoosh and her family set out on a dangerous journey toward Aleppo.



Mule Cart is a journey through fear toward hope—told through a child’s eyes.



As the family joins a convoy of Armenian refugees fleeing Aintab, Turkey, in the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide, they travel muddy roads through rainy nights, carrying all they own in a single mule cart. Anoosh is frightened by the sounds of war, yet she finds comfort in her mother’s songs and learns to search for hopeful signs along the way—in swallows overhead, stars in the night sky, and a gentle gray mule walking beside her.



This interactive Apple Books edition enhances the story with optional audio features, including scene-based background sounds, optional narration readers can choose to play, audio-supported sections introducing Armenian words from the story, a glossary with spoken Armenian vocabulary, and a recording of the traditional Armenian song Dzidzernagi Kalousduh (“Coming of the Swallow”).



Inspired by true family histories, Mule Cart honors the resilience of refugee families and the quiet bravery of a child discovering her voice. The story weaves together themes of courage, displacement, cultural identity, and the enduring bond between parent and child, culminating in a long-awaited reunion in Aleppo.



The book also includes historical and cultural notes, a map of the journey, and a glossary to support deeper understanding. Mule Cart offers young readers a rare and deeply personal window into an often-overlooked chapter of history, presented with sensitivity, warmth, and hope.