Betrayal, secrecy and memory are the haunting themes of Oksanen's accomplished novel... Her insights and intuition mean that she is fast becoming one of the foremost voices in the ex-communist world * The Economist * A thrilling page-turner but equally a shattering family drama and an unsparing deconstruction of history... Oksanen is a serious novelist in all ways * Independent * Superb... Over it hangs a Graham Greene-like atmosphere of human wretchedness and compromised political faith * Sunday Telegraph, ***** * A powerful, angry work * Mail on Sunday *