Theculturecafe

Purge is by no mean Sofie's Oksanen first book, with 2 previous books that became literary successes like :Baby Jane and Stalin's cows.

She has developed a unique and gripping writing style. The drama in her stories is about women struggling and surviving under repression. Before being a writer she was a dramaturgy student at Helsinki Theatre Academy, her first novel Stalin's cow has put her name at the edge of the literary scene.Born half Estonian, half Finnish she is familiar to the predicament of the Finnish neighours', under Communism ruling in the Eastern block,  living with the hope of regaining freedom.Purge was awarded the European Book Prize 2010. The story moves forward through flash backs between the past and present when Zara find refuge at  Aliide's house escaping her pimp. A family secret unfolding with dramatic revelations links them together. The story is a real page turner and an eye opener about the Russian occupation in Estonia and its downfall