Kai Aareleid

Tale of family secrets & tragedy lightened by a coming-of-age story.

It is explained about halfway through, but perhaps it is best to say right away that the original title for this book "Linnade põletamine" (which literally translates as "The Burning of Cities"). is the Estonian name of the card game commonly known as "War." That makes for a clearer understanding of the title and the use of the playing card motifs in the various international cover designs.

Both possible readings of the title, i.e. the destruction of a city through fire and/or the one-on-one battle of the card game have actual or symbolic parallels in the story. Most of the story takes place in the town of Tartu, Estonia which suffered damage during the Second World War in recent memory, but also in history during past invasions. The human characters meanwhile have their meetings and interactions and then their own occasional "wars" when two different views or goals are in conflict.

The story is framed from the point of view of an adult woman Tiina looking back on her childhood from her birth in 1946 to the year 1962 when the most dramatic events of her family life unfolded (Note: I am not going to provide any spoilers here). There are also some flashbacks to the years before her birth in order to introduce her parents and then some interspersed flash forwards to later years. In the background to the story is the early years of the post-WWII Soviet Occupation of Estonia with the overhanging threat of Soviet deportations during the Stalin years and then the relative thaw of the Malenkov/Khrushchev years.

The story unfolds as almost a series of snapshots as the years pass. The yearly dates of the chapter headings always keep you oriented but the underlying secrets and tensions keep you engaged. Mostly you are learning the family secrets at the same time as the young Tiina but you have the added perspective of your own adult view to let you make further assumptions before the child can.

Lightening the tone amongst that ratcheting tension is Tiina's coming-of-age story along with a first boyfriend relationship what is both endearing and provides some joy and relief. These segments portraying youthful innocence in the midst of the Soviet occupation are what likely cause some reviewers to make comparisons to Viivi Luik's now classic "Seitsmes rahukevad" (The Seventh Spring of Peace) (1985) which similarly described a young girl's childhood during a part of that same time period (although the latter is limited to a single year).

I was very impressed by the flow and structure of the book and enjoyed the perspective of the adult view of their childhood in retrospect. Perhaps not all questions are answered but such is true to life as well. I hope to read further Kai Aareleid in the future including some of her original Estonian works.

The translation by now veteran Estonian translator Adam Cullen, who already has 10 books to his credit, flowed smoothly and felt entirely natural. The production quality and clean copy-editing (otherwise often one of my bugbear ranting issues) by Peter Owen Publishers is also to be commended.

Links
"Burning Cities" is published as part of an initial 3-book World Series: Baltics edition from Peter Owen Publishers. The other titles are "The Green Crow" (original title "Zaļā vārna") by Latvian writer Kristīne Ulberga and "Darkness and Company" (original title "Tamsa ir partneriai") by Lithuanian writer Sigitas Parulskis.… (more)