Amen

By Jari Tervo

Satiric one-day novel opens a panoramic view to the mind of the Finns, famously as unpredictable as the weather. 80 year-old Leo walks around Helsinki, pushing a bouncy castle in a carriage. He is going to attend a demonstration to defend the Nation and finally marry the love of his life, both on this same April day. He is unaware of the police chasing him, suspecting him of a crime. After Leo suffers a stroke, 29 other narrators get the chance to tell their stories – and so does the omnipotent choir in social media.

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About the author

Jari Tervo (b. 1959), one of the most established and popular names in Finnish literature since the 1990’s, is an incomparable storyteller. Tervo slips deftly from intimately exploring individual psyche to portraying societal, human and historical levels in broad brushstrokes.Tervo writes about Russia and the Baltic countries much in the same vein as internationally known Finnish writers like Sofi Oksanen and Katja Kettu. The author has a unique voice in his prose; he has an earthy sense of humour, and he’s fond of twisting and turning words so that each sentence is a work of art in itself. Yet his narration flows smoothly and irresistibly. During his long career, Jari Tervo has been one of the most imaginative Finnish authors, with an endless regenerative capacity.Tervo’s works have sold over one million copies in Finland. He has received numerous awards and has been nominated for the Finlandia Fiction Prize three times. His novels have been translated into English, French and Estonian.