Summary of The Colonel’s WifeÂ
In the novella “The Colonel’s Wife”, an elderly woman recounts her life story, from her childhood in Finnish Lapland between the two World Wars to her marriage to a colonel thirty years her senior, who collaborated with the Nazis during the Second World War.
Reasons to read The Colonel’s Wife
“The Colonel’s Wife” offers a compelling portrayal of 20th-century Finnish history and Finland’s role during the Second World War. Initially, the story centres on the political climate, particularly the fascination of Finnish nationalists with Nazi Germany. As the novel progresses, the focus shifts to the narrator’s troubled marriage to the colonel. “The Colonel’s Wife” is inspired by the life of Annikki Kariniemi, a Finnish writer, and her marriage to Colonel Oiva Willamo, commander of the Lapland Border Guard. Rosa Liksom is a renowned Finnish author who received the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize for her debut “One Night Stands” and the Finlandia Prize for her novel “Compartment No. 6”.
Setting: Lapland (Finland)
Original title: Everstinna
Year of publication: 2017
Nr of pages: 160
