November, 1939. A conscription officer arrives in the peaceful farming village of Rautjärvi. The Soviet Union has invaded, and for the first time in its history as an independent country, Finland is at war.
Setting off into the depths of winter to face the Red Army, the small group of childhood friends recruited from Rautjärvi have no idea whether any of them will ever return home. But their unit has a secret weapon: the young sniper Simo Häyhä, whose lethal skill in the snow-bound forests of the front line will earn him the nickname ‘The White Death’.
Drawing on the real-life figures and battles of the Finnish-Soviet Winter War, The Winter Warriors is a riveting, heart-pounding, utterly epic historical thriller from one of Europe’s most acclaimed crime writers.
It's my pleasure to be hosting my review of The Winter Warriors by Olivier Norek today. Many thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me and to Orenda Books for my advance digital copy of the book.
The Winter War was fought between Finland and the Soviet Union between November 1939 and March 1940. Although part of the broader context of World War II, it was actually a distinct conflict brought about by the Soviet policy of expansionism. I have read many books both factual and fiction about the Second World War but only had a very vague knowledge of the Winter War until now. Olivier Norek's fictionalised account of the war and particularly of the real-life sniper, Simo Häyhä whose precise skills as a marksman earned him the nickname, 'The White Death', has gone some way to rectify that and I found The Winter Warriors to be an illuminating, moving read.
The terrible inevitability of the war hangs heavily over the start of the book as a young Simo and his friends stand at the cusp of manhood. Living in a small village, they live a traditional lifestyle farming, hunting and meeting the girls who will eventually become their wives, Simo has already made a name for himself thanks to his impressive ability to accurately hit the centre of his target with his rifle and in spite of his small stature, rarely gives the other competitors at the Finnish Civic Guard Rifle Championship in Helsinki a chance. However, with negotiations between Finland and Russia destined to fail – despite the former's determination to retain its recent independence, Stalin is committed to engulfing the tiny country into the Soviet Union – the reserve soldier's extraordinary prowess is soon called upon in a much bloodier theatre.
After a secret operation which underlines the Russian high command's ruthlessness, the expected invasion finally starts on 30th November 1939. From the panicked exodus from a mercilessly bombed Helsinki to the gravely pragmatic steps taken to ensure the invading troops aren't able to find any shelter or sustenance in the empty towns and villages they arrive in, Olivier Norek's vivid description of the terror wrought on a population facing the onslaught of a far more powerful nation is almost visceral. It's the unrelenting horrors experienced by Simo and his compatriots, most notably his friends, Toivo, Onni and Pietari who take up their position on the Front Line at Kolla as part of the 6th Company which really tells the extraordinary story of how, despite the vast disparity in manpower and weaponry, this tiny country bravely took on its far bigger neighbour. Led by career soldier Juutilainen, the 'Terror of Morocco’, whose pugnacious attitude to war and killing is matched only by his fondness for the bottle, it would seem they have no chance but their courageous guerilla warfare tactics as they face their wildly unprepared foe, are a testament to their courageous exploits. Meanwhile, there are also poignant chapters which take place on the Mannerheim Line on the Karelian Isthmus and scenes that follow Leela, a young woman whose lifelong ambition to emulate Lotta Svärd led to her becoming a Lotta (member of the voluntary auxiliary paramilitary organisation) herself. Although a smaller part of the story, Leela's compassion for the soldiers she tends to is no less heroic.
This being war, the losses are considerable and painful; Olivier Norek sombrely reflects the horrific human cost, both in terms of sheer numbers killed and the psychological impact on those who witness the deaths of their friends and compatriots. Simo, in particular, is shown to be deeply affected by the losses he experiences; while he previously recognised the difference between being able to kill and having to kill, his anguished desire for revenge almost results in him losing that humanity. However, although never shying away from portraying the grim reality of war, The Winter Warriors is never a gratuitous read.
It's impossible to read The Winter Warriors without drawing parallels between that conflict and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine; in both cases what seems to have been little more than a formality actually turns out to be anything but as a population's fierce loyalty to their country leads to a bloody, prolonged war in which neither side is ever going to be truly victorious. In the Winter War, the truth was concealed from the Russian populace and from Stalin himself, due to his unyielding refusal to accept anything remotely akin to failure, while today, although the gulags may be history, Putin's Russian still runs on state-sponsored propaganda and an expectation of unquestioning loyalty – plus ça change...
The Winter War is a war which many of us know little, if anything about; although there will undoubtedly be some artistic license employed here – this is a fictionalised thriller after all – Olivier Norek's authentic, impressively researched novel does much to rectify that. A word here too for the translation by Nick Caistor who ensures the narrative flows seamlessly throughout. The Winter Warriors is an empathetic, compelling read and I'm grateful that the courage and fortitude of Simo Häyhä and his compatriots is being brought to the attention of people outside of Finland.
The Winter Warriors by Olivier Norek is published by Open Borders Press, an imprint of Orenda Books, it can be ordered from the Orenda website, further purchasing links can be found here.
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About the Author
About the Translator
Nick Caistor, born 1946, is a prolific translator from French, Spanish and Portuguese, with more than 90 translations to his name including works by Isabel Allende, Paulo Coelho and Eduardo Mendoza. He is an author, editor and journalist who regularly contributes to the Guardian and the Times Literary Supplement.
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