Purge
A story of two women forced to confront their own
dark pasts, of collusion and resistance, of rape and sexual slavery set
against the backdrop of the Soviet occupation of Estonia.
The plot begins in 1992 with an elderly woman, Aliide Truu, who lives in
a remote portion of Estonia. The woman had isolated herself from the
surrounding society and watches the youth of her nation, including her
daughter, leaving the countryside for the more urban regions and
Finland. One day while looking out the kitchen window, she discovers
Zara, the granddaughter of her sister Ingel. Zara had been forced to
partake in the sex trade by the Russian Mafia but escaped them. The only
guide she had to help her find help, was a photograph from her
grandmother with Aliide's name on it. The story then continues with a
series of flashbacks which develops the relationship of Aliide and her
sister, which hinged upon their competition for the love of Hans Pekk
during World War II. The story ends as Aliide begins to reconcile
herself with her jealousy of her sister and Zara's redemption from her
disenchantment with the world caused by her sexual subjugation.
Author: Sofi Oksanen
Original title:
Puhdistus
Country:
Finland
Language: Finnish
[the only one of Oksanen's novels which has been translated into English]
Genres:
Historical novel, Crime novel
Pages:
380 pp
