LoveReading has teamed up with Audiobooks.com to give you the chance to get 2 free audiobooks when you sign up. Try it for 30 days for free with no strings attached. You can cancel anytime, although we're sure you'll love it. Click the button to find out more:
Find out moreSofi Oksanen is a Finnish-Estonian novelist and playwright. Purge was her first novel to appear in English. She has received numerous prizes for her work, including the Swedish Academy Nordic Prize, the Prix Femina, the Budapest Grand Prize, the European Book Prize, and the Nordic Council Literature Prize. She lives in Helsinki.
November 2017 Book of the Month Stunning. The sort of mystery that builds feeding you little clues in piecemeal chunks so you have to keep your wits about you. Read it quickly, which shouldn’t be a problem for it is truly compulsive else you may lose how it all fits together. It begins with the funeral of Norma’s mother, Anita, a suicide from jumping under a tube train. We are told that the Naakha (they are Finnish) family are unusual, we learn that Norma’s hair grows a metre a day and has strange powers. This is a secret her mother has urged Norma to keep hidden for “freaks” do not have a life of their own. At the funeral Norma’s hair alerts her to trouble and so the girl investigates Anita’s last few months. We enter a shady world of mafia ilk in a clever tale with twisted individuals and a highly original scenario. I loved it. ~ Sarah Broadhurst
The hair-raising mash-up of feminist X-Men, gothic fairy tale, family saga and biting social criticism that is taking Europe by storm. When Anita Naakka jumps in front of an oncoming train, her daughter, Norma, is left alone with the secret they have spent their lives hiding: Norma has supernatural hair, sensitive to the slightest changes in her mood--and the moods of those around her--moving of its own accord, corkscrewing when danger is near. And so it is her hair that alerts her, while she talks with a strange man at her mother's funeral, that her mother may not have taken her own life. Setting out to reconstruct Anita's final months--sifting through puzzling cell phone records, bank statements, video files--Norma begins to realise that her mother knew more about her hair's powers than she let on: a sinister truth beyond Norma's imagining.
A blowfly. Unusually large, loud, and eager to lay its eggs. It was lying in wait to get into the kitchen, rubbing its wings and feet against the curtain as if preparing to feast. It was after meat, nothing else but meat. Deep in an overgrown Estonian forest, two women, one young, one old, are hiding. Zara, a murderer and a victim of sex-trafficking, is on the run from brutal captors. Aliide, a communist sympathizer and a blood traitor, has endured a life of abuse and the country's brutal Soviet years. Their survival now depends on exposing the one thing that kept them hidden... the truth.
November 2017 Book of the Month Stunning. The sort of mystery that builds feeding you little clues in piecemeal chunks so you have to keep your wits about you. Read it quickly, which shouldn’t be a problem for it is truly compulsive else you may lose how it all fits together. It begins with the funeral of Norma’s mother, Anita, a suicide from jumping under a tube train. We are told that the Naakha (they are Finnish) family are unusual, we learn that Norma’s hair grows a metre a day and has strange powers. This is a secret her mother has urged Norma to keep hidden for “freaks” do not have a life of their own. At the funeral Norma’s hair alerts her to trouble and so the girl investigates Anita’s last few months. We enter a shady world of mafia ilk in a clever tale with twisted individuals and a highly original scenario. I loved it. ~ Sarah Broadhurst
From the internationally acclaimed author of Purge and When the Doves Disappeared, comes a deliciously dark family drama that is a searing portrait of both the exploitation of women's bodies and the extremes to which people will go for the sake of beauty. When Anita Naakka jumps in front of an oncoming train, her daughter, Norma, is left alone with the secret they have spent their lives hiding: Norma has supernatural hair, sensitive to the slightest changes in her mood--and the moods of those around her--moving of its own accord, corkscrewing when danger is near. And so it is her hair that alerts her, while she talks with a strange man at her mother's funeral, that her mother may not have taken her own life. Setting out to reconstruct Anita's final months--sifting through puzzling cell phone records, bank statements, video files--Norma begins to realise that her mother knew more about her hair's powers than she let on: a sinister truth beyond Norma's imagining.
From the internationally best-selling author of Purge and When the Doves Disappeared, a spellbinding new novel set in present-day Helsinki, about a young woman with a fantastical secret who is trying to solve the mystery of her mother's death. When Anita Naakka jumps in front of an oncoming train, her daughter, Norma, is left alone with the secret they have spent their lives hiding: Norma has supernatural hair, sensitive to the slightest changes in her mood--and the moods of those around her--moving of its own accord, corkscrewing when danger is near. And so it is her hair that alerts her, while she talks with a strange man at her mother's funeral, that her mother may not have taken her own life. Setting out to reconstruct Anita's final months--sifting through puzzling cell phone records, bank statements, video files--Norma begins to realize that her mother knew more about her hair's powers than she let on: a sinister truth beyond Norma's imagining. As Sofi Oksanen leads us ever more deeply into Norma's world, weaving together past and present, she gives us a dark family drama that is a searing portrait of both the exploitation of women's bodies and the extremes to which people will go for the sake of beauty.
Ein dunkles Familiendrama mit magischen UntertonenAls Normas Mutter Selbstmord begeht, steht die dreiigjhrige Tochter pltzlich alleine da. Die beiden waren ein eingeschworenes Team und sich darin einig, Normas Geheimnis - ihre Haare wachsen unnatrlich schnell - fr sich zu behalten. Whrend Norma herauszufinden versucht, wie die Mutter wirklich starb, kommt sie einem global agierenden Clan rund um Haarverlngerung und Leihmutterschaft auf die Spur. Dieser magische Roman beginnt mit einer Beerdigung: Die 30-jhrige Norma Ross hat soeben ihre Mutter Anita verloren. Whrend Norma auf ihr Taxi wartet, kondoliert ihr ein unbekannter Mann, der sich als Max Lambert, ein alter Freund ihrer Mutter, vorstellt. Doch Lambert ist kein alter Freund, sondern der Inhaber des Frisiersalons, in dem Anita arbeitete. Norma glaubt nicht daran, dass ihre Mutter Selbstmord begangen hat, und sucht in ihrer Wohnung nach Hinweisen auf das, was wirklich geschehen ist. Dabei stt sie auf verstrende Dokumente In ihrem Roman thematisiert Sofi Oksanen die Ausbeutung von Frauen - sei es durch Leihmutterschaft oder den Verkauf ihrer Haare. Ein eigensinniger Roman mit einer klaren Botschaft.
Sofi Oksanen este cea mai importanta scriitoare finlandeza contemporana iar Purificare cel mai cunoscut roman al sau.Cartea a fost tradusa in 41 de tari si a fost recompensata cu peste 10 premii literare importante intre care si prestigiosul Femina Etranger (2010).Romanul Purificare construieste o complexa drama de familie pe fundalul Estoniei rurale din timpul dictaturii sovietice si apoi din anii ‘90 detaliind consecintele pe care le au abuzurile si violentele unui regim represiv. Aliide Truu isi traieste batranetile in singuratate la marginea unui sat depopulat pregatindu-si leacurile si muraturile si ascultand radioul cand in curtea ei apare peste noapte o fata necunoscuta vorbind o estoniana invechita cu accent rusesc. Fata este o fugara iar din gesturile nervoase si speriate din povestile pe care le spune Aliide recunoaste in tanara speriata o victima a unor violente ce-i evoca dureros traume asemanatoare pe care la randul ei a trebuit sa le indure si sa le tainuiasca pentru a ramane in viata. Pe masura ce Aliide si Zara se apropie tot mai mult legaturile dintre ele ies la lumina dezvaluind amintiri reprimate si constientizarea unui rau ce continua sa faca victime mult timp dupa ce radacina sa a disparut.
O poveste cutremuratoare despre ocupatie, rezistenta si colaborationism intr-o Estonie devastata de cel de-al Doilea Razboi Mondial. Romanul urmareste destinele sinuoase a trei personaje aruncate fara veste in aceasta lume haotica: Roland, un luptator pentru independenta principial; varul lui, Edgar, pregatit sa faca aproape orice pentru a-si ascunde secretele si a-si pastra relatiile cu puternicii zilei; si sotia lui Edgar, Juudit, care este sfasiata intre iubirea pentru un ofiter german, teama de a se intoarce la casnicia ei nefericita si relatia cu idealistul Roland.
1941: In Communist-ruled, war-ravaged Estonia, two men are fleeing from the Red Army - Roland, a fiercely principled freedom fighter, and his slippery cousin Edgar. When the Germans arrive, Roland goes into hiding; Edgar abandons his unhappy wife, Juudit, and takes on a new identity as a loyal supporter of the Nazi regime... 1963: Estonia is again under Communist control, independence even further out of reach behind the Iron Curtain. Edgar is now a Soviet apparatchik, desperate to hide the secrets of his past life and stay close to those in power. But his fate remains entangled with Roland's, and with Juudit, who may hold the key to uncovering the truth... In a masterfully told story that moves between the tumult of these two brutally repressive eras - a story of surveillance, deception, passion, and betrayal - Sofi Oksanen brings to life both the frailty, and the resilience, of humanity under the shadow of tyranny.
From the acclaimed author of Purge (';a stirring and humane work of art' The New Republic) comes a riveting, chillingly relevant new novel of occupation, resistance, and collaboration in Eastern Europe.1941: In Communist-ruled, war-ravaged Estonia, two men are fleeing from the Red ArmyRoland, a fiercely principled freedom fighter, and his slippery cousin Edgar. When the Germans arrive, Roland goes into hiding; Edgar abandons his unhappy wife, Juudit, and takes on a new identity as a loyal supporter of the Nazi regime . . . 1963: Estonia is again under Communist control, independence even further out of reach behind the Iron Curtain. Edgar is now a Soviet apparatchik, desperate to hide the secrets of his past life and stay close to those in power. But his fate remains entangled with Roland's, and with Juudit, who may hold the key to uncovering the truth . . . Great acts of deception and heroism collide in this masterful story of surveillance, passion, and betrayal, as Sofi Oksanen brings to life the frailtyand the resilienceof humanity under the shadow of tyranny.From the Hardcover edition.
Finnland ist Gastland der Frankfurter Buchmesse und Sofi Oksanen ihr StarDer Roman folgt dem Schicksal dreier Esten whrend des Zweiten Weltkriegs und danach: Roland, einem prinzipientreuen estnischen Freiheitskmpfer, seinem machthungrigen, skrupellosen Cousin Edgar und dessen Frau Juudit, die sich in einen deutschen Offizier verliebt. Ein meisterhaft komponierter Roman ber Machtstreben, Liebe und Verrat.Estland zur Zeit der deutschen Besatzung: Whrend sich Roland versteckt hlt, weil er immer noch an die estnische Befreiung glaubt, versucht Edgar ins Zentrum der Machthaber vorzustoen. Seine Frau Juudit verliebt sich in einen hohen deutschen Offizier, nicht ahnend, dass ihr Mann ber genau diesen Offizier die Karriereleiter emporklettern mchte. Nach dem Krieg werden die Karten neu gemischt, Estland steht unter der Besatzung der Sowjets, und wieder ist es Edgar, der hofft, seiner Vergangenheit zum Trotz auch bei den Kommunisten eine herausragende Rolle zu spielen. Intrigen und Legenden, Verrat und Heimtcke, Liebe und Familie - Sofi Oksanen hat einen Roman geschrieben, der sich durch die meisterliche Konstruktion wie ein Thriller liest und dessen Figuren, allen voran Edgar, man nicht mehr vergisst.Die internationale literarische Sensation des Jahres.
Kada jednoga jutra u svome dvoristu u estonskome selu Aliide Truu pronaA e gotovo mrtvu djevojku i odluci joj pomoci, njezin ce se zivot sasvim izmijeniti, a proslost ce joj nahrupiti na vrata. Djevojka Zara zrtva je traffickinga koja bjezi od svojih izrabljivaca, a Aliide nije izabrala slucajno - njih dvije povezane su mnogo dubljim vezama negoli to ijedna sluti. Od ranih devedesetih i tranzicije pa unatrag do vremena prije Drugoga svjetskoga rata, rata i poslijeratnoga razdoblja kroz obiteljsku i osobnu tragediju obiju junakinja roman Ciscenje Sofi Oksanen oslikava najdublje ljudske strahove, ali i ponore duse, od izdaje preko prevare do ljubomore. Jedna od ponajboljih svjetskih spisateljica mlaA e generacije Finkinja Sofi Oksanen u viA estruko nagraA ivanom i na viA e od trideset jezika prevedenom romanu A iA A enje maestralno je ispriA ala priA u o dubokim posljedicama srama te kroz sudbinu Aliide i Zare oslikala svu teA inu dvadesetog stoljeA a, sovjetske vlasti i poA etka tranzicije.
Ein furioser Roman uber ein in der Literatur nicht beachtetes ThemaAnna hat alles im Griff. Sie dient einer "e;Herrin"e;, der Bulimie, denn es gibt nichts Wichtigeres fr sie, als einen vollkommenen Krper zu besitzen und unangreifbar zu sein.Annas Eltern trennen sich, als ihre Mutter Katariina herausfindet, dass ihr Mann sie betrgt. Sie, die Estin, verleugnet ihre Herkunft, weil sie wei welch schlechtes Ansehen Estinnen in Finnland haben - sie gelten als russische Huren, die es geschafft haben, durch Heirat nach Finnland zu entkommen. Aus Angst, dass ihrer Tochter die gleiche Verachtung zuteil wird wie ihr, darf diese die Sprache nicht lernen und keinem sagen, woher die Mutter stammt. Dabei fahren die beiden regelmig nach Estland, um die Familie zu untersttzen, die das Grauen der sowjetischen Arbeitslager kennenlernte und unter den Bespitzelungen und Erpressungen durch enge Vertraute litt. Whrend Anna um ihr Gewicht kmpft und lernen muss, dass sie wirklich krank ist und die anorektische Bulimie sie umbringen kann, erfhrt der Leser die Hintergrnde der Familiengeschichte, Ursache fr Annas Leiden, die bis in die Zeit der Besetzung Estlands nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg zurckreicht.In brillanter Sprache, mit genauer Kenntnis der historischen Hintergrnde und einer meisterhaften Komposition beweist Sofi Oksanen erneut, warum ihre Romane weltweit gefeiert werden.
Das international gefeierte Meisterwerk uber Liebe, Verrat und Angst - vor allem vor der Gewalt der MannerWer uerstes erlebt hat, ist auch uerstes zu tun im Stande - das zeigt dieser vielfach ausgezeichnete und hoch spannende Roman ber zwei Frauen, die sich wie zufllig begegnen und die doch eine gemeinsame Geschichte verbindet. Als Aliide Tru, eine alte Frau, die allein in einem Bauernhaus auf dem estnischen Land lebt, ein Bndel in ihrem Garten findet, das sich als junge Frau entpuppt, schluckt sie ihre Skepsis und Menschenverachtung herunter und nimmt Zara in ihr Haus auf. Zara ist auf der Flucht vor ihren Zuhltern, die sie mit brutalster Gewalt zu Willfhrigkeit gezwungen haben und ihr schon dicht auf den Fersen sind. Doch Zara sucht keineswegs so zufllig Unterschlupf bei Aliide, wie diese glaubt: Aliide knnte die Schwester ihrer Gromutter sein. Whrend Zara noch Beweise fr die Verwandtschaft sucht und nach einer Mglichkeit, Estland zu verlassen, fhlt sich Aliide von der jungen Frau bedroht: Zu oft musste sie Leib und Seele, Hab und Gut vor Eindringlingen schtzen. In Rckblenden entsteht das immer schrfer werdende Bild einer Familientragdie, die fast fnfzig Jahre zuvor, als Estland von den Russen besetzt wurde, ihren Hhepunkt fand. Rivalitt und Eifersucht, Scham, Schutzbedrftigkeit und vor allem Angst vor der Brutalitt der Mnner gegenber den Frauen - das sind die Motive, die Aliide zu unvorstellbaren Entscheidungen zwangen. Sofi Oksanen gelang mit diesem Roman, der in mehr als 25 Lndern erscheint und gerade in den USA gefeiert wird, der groe Wurf. Atemlos vor Spannung liest man ber das Schicksal zweier Frauen, die ganz unterschiedliche und im Kern doch vergleichbare Erfahrungen machen: Egal welches politische System auch herrscht, Opfer sind immer die Frauen.
Deep in an Estonian forest, two women, one young, one old, are hiding. Zara is a prostitute and a murderer, on the run from brutal captors - men who know how to punish a woman. Aliide offers refuge but not safety: she has her own criminal secrets - traitorous crimes of passion and revenge committed long ago, during the country's brutal Soviet years. Both women have survived lives of abuse. But this time their survival depends on revealing the one thing history has taught them to keep safely hidden: the truth. A haunting, intimate and gripping story of suspicion, betrayal and retribution against a backdrop of Soviet oppression and European war.
If this is your author page then you can share your Twitter updates with your readers right here on LoveReading
Find out moreIf this is your author page then you can share your Facebook updates with your readers right here on LoveReading
Find out more