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Sofi Oksanen,

Lola Rogers (Translator)

Start date: February 1, 2014

Finish date: February 28, 2014

Discussion: Group Reads Discussions

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Group Reads Discussions

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By Diane , Armchair Tour Guide · 3 posts · 1369 views

last updated Jan 18, 2013 07:12PM

I've Been Waiting
By Carole · 1 post · 12 views

last updated Sep 16, 2025 07:57PM

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What Members Thought

May 25, 2010 Daisy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: estonia, to-re-read, eastern-europe, russia-ussr, finland, favorites-2nd-place

Flies: a recurring theme. I mean presence. Character?

Interesting to grow to dislike the main character, Aliide, the more I read. The very end though has me stumped. Am I stupid? Did I miss something or is that last section unnecessary?

I didn't learn that much even though I've never read anything about Estonia before. I have read lots of Russian and Soviet stuff so some of that "tension" is familiar, all that not-knowing-who-you-can-trust stuff. I did love the details like horseradish in pickles ...more

13 likes · Like · see review

Jul 14, 2016 Karen rated it really liked it

Shelves: travel-the-world

A great story of Estonia during Nazi and Soviet occupation. Two women from two generations are thrown together, and yet they have much in common.

1 like · Like · see review

May 27, 2019 Ann rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019-atw-80, 2019-aty-52

Estonia 🇪🇪
Superb psychological thriller with nuanced characters that came to life. I couldn't read it quickly; I needed breaks from the abuse and them having to eat irradiated food from Chernobyl. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Aug 29, 2011 mstan rated it liked it

Shelves: src-winter-2011-12, historical-fiction, translation, european

So, so depressing. Take any dank stereotype about Eastern Europe you have heard of - the coarse food; the early sunsets; the sex trade; the Communist ideologies-come-to-horrid-life - and you'll find it here.

There's a woman who, when she was young, was obsessed with her sister's husband (who seems quite a wimp, really), and who, one day, finds a girl in her yard. Aliide and Zara begin talking, but both are mistrustful of each other. Their stories intertwine, heaping timeless depravity upon histor ...more

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