Minä odotan sinua - Sanna-Leena Knuuttila

Minä odotan sinua - Sanna-Leena Knuuttila 2018

Historical fiction. Jatkosota. Women's fiction.

STORY: The story begins in 1940. Veikko has just returned from talvisota and the pair begin to prepare for their wedding. Hilkka rejoices in her new life as a married woman and their new life on the farm. However, in 1941 war breaks out and Veikko must leave. Hilkka must manage the farm with the help of her parents and take care of her soon to be born child.

This is an original story published in 2019. The author has previously published another novel featuring Hilkka and Veikko, Ne lensivät tästi yli. The books can be read together or as standalones without problem.


LANGUAGE: The book is broken down into five parts and includes a dictionary at the front of the book. The grammar is of a B1-B2 level. Readers will benefit from new vocabulary and also familiar vocabulary used in new contexts. The text is large and the pages contain lots of white space. Photographs are included with captions throughout the book and enhance the reading experience. At just over 100 pages, the book provides a well-developed story without being too long.

I recommend this book to readers of B1-B2 level.

CHARACTERS: Hilkka and Veikko are a young married couple with a child on the way. Both have grown up on farmland and have dreams of running their own farm someday. They are both hard working and family is very important to them. Veikko is strong and a good husband and writes letters to Hilkka throughout the book. Hilkka is also strong and hard working but worries about whether Veikko will come back home alive.

The cover of the book features a photograph of the fictionalized couple and throughout the book photos also show side characters or representative photos of men and women at the time the book is set.


WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK: This is a great historical fiction novel published recently (2018). The breakdown of the sections and "chapters" make the book very accessible to selkokirja readers, while the plot keeps readers engaged and interested to learn both about daily life during war-time and also Hilkka's own personal experiences and story. A fresh, eye-opening story from an excellent writer. Highly recommend. 5/5.