Loukko by 
Original title: Neljäntienristeys
Author: Tommi Kinnunen
Published: 2014
Publisher: WSOY
Genre: Literary Fiction
Pages: 335
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
A convincing, emotionally stirring debut about reconstruction-era Finland, little people, big buildings, and dual lives.
The young midwife Maria arouses suspicion among her fellow villagers. An independent spirit, she handles difficult births with aplomb and finally gains the respect she desires, but doesn’t realise she has become captive to her own yearning.
Her daughter Lahja, born out of wedlock, wants to embrace everything her mother rejected in her own life. A refugee returning to the war-scorched North, she craves intimacy in her marriage, while her war-hero husband Onni trawls the cities, seeking moments of forbidden, short-lived bliss.
Decades later, Kaarina decorates the house that has been emptied of her father-in-law’s dreams, eager to tear down what others have built into silence.
Where Four Roads Meet is a touching and strong story of tenacious women. The novel is both about being different and of the change of the Finnish society. The altering voices of the narrators of the story make the structure of the novel particularly successful and keep the reader captivated. The writing is beautiful, the description of the protagonists is skillful, and their individual fates are fascinating, the novel is a well-balanced and a refined whole. Where Four Roads Meet is a brilliant and timeless debut novel.
– Thank You for the Book Prize jury
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Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
AZERBAIJAN: Agac Publishing House
CHINA: China International Radio Press
DENMARK: Gyldendal/Cicero
ITALY: Edizioni ETS
NORWAY: Pax Forlag
