Bestselling author Sofi Oksanen answers readers' questions about her novel Purge. It's a harrowing story of sexual violence, betrayal and retribution which charts the troubled history of Estonia during and after the Second World War. Told through the lives of two women, the story starts when a frightened stranger, Zara, arrives on Aliide's doorstep. Gradually, their parallel stories, and connected histories are uncovered. This powerful novel has been translated into 38 languages. (Picture: Author Sofi Oksanen. Photo credit: Toni Härkönen.)
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Welcome to the World Book Club podcast.
I'm Harriet Gilbert, and this month we've been reading a powerful novel about war, military occupation and betrayal and two women on the run from very different pasts.
The book is called, in English, Purge, and here to answer questions about it from BBC listeners around the world is its Finnish, Estonian author, Sophie Oksanen.
Sophie, hello.
Welcome to World Book Club.
Hello.
My pleasure to be here.
You're talking with us from Helsinki in Finland, and as we speak, it's very soon going to be Midsummer's Day.
How do you celebrate Midsummer in Finland?
Everybody goes to the countryside or to summer cottage or cabin, and barbecue is one of the biggest things.
I guess we try to take the most of the midnight sun.