Finnish-Estonian author Sofi Oksanen’s dark thriller time travels from 1939 to 1992, describing a multigenerational family saga that endures through the various occupations of Estonia. Idyllic descriptions of life in the countryside hide undercurrents of misery, unhappiness, betrayal, and disgust. Flies are a leitmotif—they are quite a problem out in the sticks. Although the young women of the family try to keep the home fires burning and protect their men folk, their efforts are not only unsuccessful, but seemingly rewarded with inhuman torture and suffering. According to the website, This is Finland, “[t]he Finnish word 'puhdistus' can mean 'purge,' but it comes from the word for 'clean' and can also be translated as 'cleansing.'”--Barb P.
Request Purge from the Saint Paul Public Library.
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