Silences: A Novel of the 1918 Finnish Civil War

by Roy Blomstrom

Labour Day, 1955. Near a creek in Port Arthur, Ontario, a man’s body hangs at the end of a rope. The story of the body, and its missing shoe, begins in Finland, decades earlier and an ocean away.

In January, 1918, civil war breaks out in Finland. Jussi Mantere and his friends, the Solbakken brothers—Anders, Karl, and Ivor, known as Rabbit—as well as Karl’s wife, Viktoria, are swept into the fighting. The war rages for months and the country is laid waste. When peace is declared, the price of mending the fractured country is to heal and forget, both victor and vanquished, White and Red, are asked to not speak of the war.

In the ensuing years, Jussi and other survivors immigrate 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 Jussi knows?—threatens the peace and safety of his family. 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.

Spanning nearly 50 years, this novel shows how a few months of fighting in the 1918 Finnish Civil War can still influence a family in Port Arthur, Ontario in 1955.

271 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 22, 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.