With "When the Doves Disappeared" by Sofi Oksanen
This month’s pick at the European Union Book Club in Ottawa comes from Estonia:
"When the Doves Disappeared" by Sofi Oksanen
About the book:
Communist Estonia, 1941. As the Allies and the Axis clash in battle, two Estonian cousins are fleeing from the Red Army: Roland, a loyal freedom fighter, and Edgar, an opportunistic mercenary. When the Nazis take control of the country, Roland goes into hiding. Edgar abandons his wife, Juudit, and transforms himself into a loyal supporter of Hitler’s regime.
Flash forward to 1963: Estonia is back under communist control behind the Iron Curtain. Edgar has taken on yet another identity as a Soviet apparatchik, desperate to hide the secrets of his past and maintain his connections to power. But his fate remains entangled with Roland and Juudit, who may hold the key to uncovering the truth. In a fast-paced page-turner that switches between these two time periods, Sofi Oksanen brings to life an unforgettable story of deception, surveillance, passion, and betrayal.
Please join us for an interesting and inspiring evening!
The European Book Club meets every month and is organized by the Ottawa cluster of European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) and Ottawa Public Library. Meetings are free, discussions are held in English. Given Covid-19 restrictions, for the time being, meetings are held via Zoom.
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