A New Orchid Myth by Helene Pilibosian
Straddling the pages of this book, you will consider the immigration of a married couple to Earth from the planet Tome. Mr. and Mrs. Everydream harness the different kind of civilization. They have much to do to get used to ways of life in New York City, where they have settled. However, extensive travel within the states gives them a broader landscape and the readers bright effects of narrative poetry, modern poetry but quite understandable.
Sunflowers and orchids gain importance in this fantasy-narrative. The sunflower seeds provide great nourishment here and on their home planet. Orchids also exist there but are wilted and becoming sterile as are the people. What is needed there is optimism, and the red on orchids seems to symbolize it.
The worry is that people from the home planet will kidnap their daughter Taralee to try to revitalize their own system with the red on her birthmark. Eventually the Everydreams develop a plan to send orchids to the planet, thus saving it and themselves. Then forgiveness rules.
Poems describe the best attributes of many of the states they visit. For comic relief, the characters Plastic and Polyester appear occasionally and either comment or run around New York City. Manhattan and California win for description of American places. There are a few Armenian characters in the background – Mr. and Mrs. Garmirian and Maral Laramian among them.