Silences: A Novel of the 1918 Finnish Civil War

by Roy Blomstrom

Set in Finland in 1918 and Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada in the summer of 1955, this novel one extended family through the Finnish Civil War and across the Atlantic.

As the Great War comes to a close, Finland declares its independence on December 6, 1917. Soon thereafter, fighting between Red Finns and White Finns breaks out for control of the country.

Jussi Mantere and his friends, the Solbakkens--Anders, Karl, and young Ivor, known as Rabbit--as well as Karl's wife, Viktoria, are swept into the fighting. When peace is declared after months of fighting that pits neighbour against neighbour, friend against friend, the price of mending the fractured country is silence. To heal and forget, both victor and vanquished, White and Red, are asked to not speak of the war.

Jussi and other survivors emigrate to Canada, bringing their silence with them. In Port Arthur's summer of 1955, events set in motion in 1918 come to haunt Jussi's family. A stranger--or is it someone he knows?--threatens their peace and safety. Jussi must decide whether and how to break his silence about the past and its horrors, and spare his grandson the bitter burden of generations-old resentments.

262 pages, Paperback

Published November 23, 2017

Reviews

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story of dealing with the aftermath of civil war long after the shooting stops. Interesting insights into a bit of a divide between Red & White Finns, even years later in some cases. Also enjoyed the local references to my own home town.

[Saara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew that my grandmother's brother died in a POW camp after the Civil War, but my mom can't tell me anything about what side he fought on or anything else - even though the family lived in the thick of things. Silences kept.

My favourite part of the story was where they were fighting in Finland - getting to learn a bit, if even through a Fictional tale. I'll definitely research more into that.

The reason it wasn't a 5-star book for me was that the jump to Port Arthur was so disjointed, and I wish a legend had been included as to who was who.

It was neat seeing names I recognized in the acknowledgements. Eleanor Barr was a good friend of my mom's, back in the 1980's. It's a small world.

[Susan Marrier · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful story about a mostly unknown bit of history, the Finnish civil war of 1918, and the aftermath, even to the 1950’s in Port Arthur, Ontario. The author had to do much research to uncover the stories that have been silenced for over a hundred years. War is not as straightforward as it sometimes seems, especially when it divides neighbours and families. This one is heart-breaking at times, but also carries a bit of humour and much human interest. It is extremely well written. And I particularly enjoyed the references to places very well known to me in the city I call home. Highly recommended.

[Catherine Yezak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting read. You get a good sense of what the Finnish went through during their civil war. It isn't as cut as dried as we may imagine. However, the way it segways to the events after the war isn't very smooth. We are introduced to a new scene with no explanation as to why we are hear or any background information as to what is going on.

Still, I did enjoy the story of Jussi and Vicktoria Mantere. Their strength and preservation is typical for Finns. I do recommend it to help understand some of the Finns mystique.

[Doom70 · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent story of war and the horrors that survivors carry along long after the fighting is done. It also tells of the short and brutal Finnish civil war, and of the Finns of Port Arthur circa 1955.

[Kristiina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this novel because of my interest in learning more about the Finnish Civil War, a topic that is not discussed openly. However, I thought this book was very disjointed and the characters lacked depth. It was a strange telling that did not make sense to me.