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White Hunger

Product description

What does it take to survive? This is the question posed by the extraordinary Finnish novella that has taken the Nordic literary scene by storm.

1867: a year of devastating famine in Finland. Marja, a farmer’s wife from the north, sets off on foot through the snow with her two young children. Their goal: St Petersburg, where people say there is bread. Others are also heading south, just as desperate to survive. Ruuni, a boy she meets, seems trustworthy. But can anyone really help?

LONG-LISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE 2016

INDEPENDENT BEST TRANSLATED FICTION BOOKS 2015

Why Peirene chose to publish this book:
Like Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, this apocalyptic story deals with the human will to survive. And let me be honest: There will come a point in this book where you can take no more of the snow-covered desolation. But then the first rays of spring sun appear and our belief in the human spirit is revived. A stunning tale.

Written by Aki Ollikainen.
Translated from the Finnish by Emily Jeremiah and Fleur Jeremiah.

Chance Encounter series
144pp, paperback with flaps, £12
ISBN 978-1-908670-20-5
eISBN 978-1-908670-21-2