San Ignacio, California

When Karabekian's parents escaped the Armenian massacre in Turkey, they planned to go to Paris, but along the way they were swindled into buying a house that did not exist, in San Ignacio. They took the voyage to North America, and even though they didn't find the house or an Armenian community in San Ignacio, they stayed and raised Rabo there.

Paintings

This tale is filled with paintings, from Dan Gregory's traditional works to Karabekian's modern canvases with nothing but a single color. The works of artists Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock are mentioned. Karabekian's life is inextricably linked to paintings.

Books

Both Paul Slazinger and Circe Berman are writers, though each of their own variety. Celeste, the cook's daughter, owns all of Berman's books under the pen name of Polly Madison.

Potato Barn

There is a potato barn on Karabekian's estate. He first came...