Juhannustanssi: Romaani Karjalan Kannakselta

A novel written in the early 20th century. Set on the Karelian Isthmus just after civil strife, it follows Eino Rautanen’s return to the family manor and the factory community as he is drawn—despite reluctance—into rebuilding efforts and local responsibilities. At the same time, he navigates a fraught past with a young nurse and a rekindled bond with his childhood friend Siiri Falkman, while themes of legacy, class, and modern change ripple through manor, village, and mill. The opening of the novel centers on feverish preparations at the Päiväniemi manor for Eino’s homecoming, seen through Matilda Rautanen’s bustling pride and the uneasy arrival of the gentle nurse Mrs. Syväri, who secretly bears the memory of a brief, consuming affair with Eino. Touring the rooms awakens her past—echoed by the portrait of Eino’s scandalous forebear—and she flees in turmoil just before he arrives. Eino’s first day back is tender and practical: reminiscing with his mother, hearing of the new mill director Rönkä, and being deftly enlisted to locate sites for a hospital and orphanage, with the orphan Liisu as emblem of the community’s needs. A social visit from the Falkmans follows; walking to the lakeside pavilion, Eino perceives Siiri anew—self-possessed, warm, and changed by Berlin—and an unspoken understanding forms as midsummer plans (and the mothers’ quiet hopes) frame the promise ahead.