thebooktrail88's review
4.0
A difficult book to read at times due to the subject matter and the torture of war but a very insightful read too. A period of history I had not really thought of before - Finland and Lapland's role during the war and the effects it had on such communities.
ladyelderberry's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.0
canary20's review
1.0
Received this book from Netgalley for my honest review.
I absolutely did not like this book except for the end. I couldn't follow the book it made no sense to me and the language in it was horrible. I now understand this was a true book and it was based on the author's grandparents also based on WWII. I couldn't follow the story lines I couldn't follow who was actually speaking and I also couldn't follow when things were happening as it seemed to jump around A LOT. I know there are a lot of really positive reviews but I just couldn't get into the book and had a hard time finishing it. I hope others still take the chance and read the book as others loved it. Just not my kind of book.
I absolutely did not like this book except for the end. I couldn't follow the book it made no sense to me and the language in it was horrible. I now understand this was a true book and it was based on the author's grandparents also based on WWII. I couldn't follow the story lines I couldn't follow who was actually speaking and I also couldn't follow when things were happening as it seemed to jump around A LOT. I know there are a lot of really positive reviews but I just couldn't get into the book and had a hard time finishing it. I hope others still take the chance and read the book as others loved it. Just not my kind of book.
abookishtype's review
3.0
Finnish Lapland is a brutal place. It’s above the Arctic Circle. It’s remote. Until the Russian Revolution and World War II arrived, even the modern world hadn’t touched it much. In Katja Kettu’s The Midwife (translated by David Hackston), we see a level of horror visited up on the Finns and Sami who live there that the history books didn’t prepare us for. In the course of one year, the titular midwife lives through a compressed version of the Finnish war experience...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.
hetamaenpaa's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
gorecki's review against another edition
4.0
Expectation: 3*
Reality: 4*
I'm slowly growing tired of WWII books,
but this one was a totally new experience.
I did not like any of the characters,
but loved the story despite that.
I was appalled by the vulgar and sexually explicit language,
but found some incredibly beautiful and lyrical parts in between.
I was confused and lost by the many historical references,
but that didn't matter because the here-and-now of the book was stronger.
I'm on the fence - to love or to hate it? I don't know. Maybe that's a reason to love it.
(amazing Hungarian translation by Laura Bába!)
Reality: 4*
I'm slowly growing tired of WWII books,
but this one was a totally new experience.
I did not like any of the characters,
but loved the story despite that.
I was appalled by the vulgar and sexually explicit language,
but found some incredibly beautiful and lyrical parts in between.
I was confused and lost by the many historical references,
but that didn't matter because the here-and-now of the book was stronger.
I'm on the fence - to love or to hate it? I don't know. Maybe that's a reason to love it.
(amazing Hungarian translation by Laura Bába!)
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