num_pages: 368
description: Finland 1901. Eeva, the young orphaned daughter of a revolutionary, is sent from the orphanage to work as housekeeper for Thomas, a widowed country doctor. Her enigmatic presence disturbs Thomas as much as it fascinates him, shattering all the certainties of his life. Eeva longs to be back in Helsinki with the comrades of her childhood, particularly Lauri. But life there is full of danger. The power of the Russian Empire over its subject peoples is growing more oppressive, but resistance to the Tsar's rule is growing too. Some call such resistance terrorism; others call it a fight for freedom. This spellbinding story of love and loneliness is also about the tensions that arise in a country emerging into independence.
language: English
title: HOUSE OF ORPHANS
titlecomplete: HOUSE OF ORPHANS
characters: Thomas Eklund, Lauri, Eeva
genres: Historical, Literary Fiction, Russia, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Scandinavian Literature, Romance
ratings_count: 821
places: Helsinki
awards: awardedAt: 1136102400000
name: Orange Prize
category: Fiction Longlist
publisher: VIKIN