The Saviour of Lasnamae - Softcover

Mari Saat

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1908251530 ISBN 13: 9781908251534

Publisher: Vagabond Voices, 2015

Synopsis

Natalya Filippovna may be a middle-aged, single mother and member of the Russian minority in Estonia, but she is content with her simple life. She has a flat, a job at an electronics factory and, most importantly, she has her bright and ambitious teenaged daughter, Sofia. Money is tight, but they make do - that is, until Sofia requires a lengthy, expensive dental procedure and Natalya loses her job. With bills piling up and Sofia's dental procedure only part finished, Natalya reluctantly accepts an undesirable mode of income. As she and Sofia adjust to their changing situations, Natalya falls for a mysterious, kind man, and her life takes yet another unexpected turn.According to one Estonian commentator, Mart Valjataga, "Mari Saat's empathic book marks an important turn in Estonian literature to serious moral issues after decades of postmodernist experimentation. The plight of the Estonian Russians can't be a more topical issue right now in Estonia. But Mari Saat's treatment is far from unequivocal journalistic cliches. This small lyrical book achieves a subtle synthesis of natural and supernatural, quotidian and quietist."

About this title

About the Author:

Born in Tallinn in 1947, Mari Saat is an Estonian economist and writer who has published four novels plus a number of short story collections, children's books and non-fiction works. She has received many awards since releasing her first collection of short stories (Katastroof) in 1973, including the Estonian Cultural Endowment's Prose Award in 1992, 1999 and 2008 - the latter for The Saviour of Lasnamae. Saat is known for her sharp social analyses and existential explorations. She teaches business ethics at the Tallinn University of Technology.Her books have been translated into several languages, and this book into Russian and Finnish.

About this edition

• Publisher: Vagabond Voices
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1908251530
• ISBN 13: 9781908251534
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 142