Bøker av Sofi Oksanen

From the internationally acclaimed author of Purge comes a chillingly suspenseful, deftly woven novel that opens up a little-known yet still controversial chapter of history: the occupation, resistance, and collaboration in Estonia during and after World War II.

Blending the journalistic rigor of Masha Gessen with the call to action of We Should All Be Feminists, a startling denunciation of Vladimir Putin's war on women that reveals how modern Russia's history of weaponizing sexual violence against women is part of the Russian leader's strategy to retain political influence and domination.On March 22, 2023, the Swedish Academy organized a conference on threats to freedom of expression and democracy, featuring a roster of stellar speakers, including Arundhati Roy, Timothy Snyder, and Sofi Oksanen. Oksanen's address--"Putin's War on Women"--generated such interest that the acclaimed Finnish writer used it as the basis for a larger, in-depth look at Putin's threat to women. The result is Same River, Twice, a devastating expose that builds on the themes and arguments introduced in Oksanen's urgent and incisive speech.During the Soviet occupation of Estonia, Oksanen's great aunt was arrested and brutally interrogated--a terrifying experience that permanently traumatized her, leaving her silent for the rest of her life. Same River, Twice uses this family story to illustrate the systematic crimes perpetrated by Russian soldiers and the Russian government for nearly a century. From the Russian military's entry into Berlin in 1945 to its modern invasion of Ukraine, Russia has continually employed violence against women when fighting its enemies--including using rape as an instrument of war. But as Oksanen reveals, such violence has never before been used on such a widespread scale. Life for women in Putin's Russia is little better; gender equality is in decline, women are silenced by the legal system, and rape is used to humiliate victims, especially women in media.Oksanen's sober analysis exposes how, under Putin, genocide and misogyny are inextricably linked: misogyny undergirds Russia's international alliances, threatening the rights of women and minorities worldwide. As Oksanen ominously reminds us, "In Ukraine, sexual violence is an integral part of genocide. In domestic politics, misogyny is a tool used by the Kremlin to prevent women from rising to power. In international politics, it is a tool of Russian imperialism."As the threats to democracy grow stronger around the globe, this powerful and timely book is a warning that must not be ignored.Translated from the Finnish by Owen F. Witesman

Sofi Oksanens prisbelønte roman Utrenskning er en åndeløst spennende fortelling om to kvinner som forfølges av sin egen skambelagte fortid og den mørke, uuttalte historien som binder dem sammen. Aliide Truu er en gammel kvinne som har fått sine hender svertet av forbrytelsene hun begikk under sovjettiden. Hun får selskap av Zara, et ungt trafficking-offer som søker tilflukt i Aliides hjem på landsbygda. Etter hvert som de to kvinnene nærmer seg hverandre og forbindelsene mellom dem avdekkes, begynner et tragisk og komplekst familiedrama om rivalisering, begjær og tap å utspille seg - en historie med røtter tilbake til de verste årene av den sovjetiske okkupasjonen.Utrenskning er den andre romanen i Estlandskvartetten - en serie som skildrer splittelsen og annekteringen av Europa gjennom øynene til kvinnene som så det skje. Deres kamp for frihet og overlevelse blir synonymt med skjebnen til en nasjon som knaker i sammenføyningene under et undertrykkende system.