1944. Finland's defeat in World War II forces it to cede the Karelian Isthmus to the Soviet Union. Civilians are forced to hastily flee their home villages, leaving behind their land and livestock. Against the backdrop of this urgent evacuation, the stories of two heroes unfold: the deserter Auvo Oksala, who, caught in a firefight, goes mad and cannot tell whether he is alive or dead; and the milkmaid Maria Shemeikka, who, even under threat of death, tries to save her village's herd of cows... Turning to the theme of war, Hanneriina Moisseinen speaks not at all about heroism, courage, and fortitude, but about the terrible consequences that any military action brings for those who were forced to fight and those who became their unwitting victims.

'Isthmus' is based on archival records of the Finnish Literary Society Foundation, as well as on eyewitness accounts of the trials they experienced during the evacuation in Karelia, collected in 1997–1999. In 2016, the book was awarded the Finnish National Comic Book Prize.

Author: Moisseinen Hanneriina
Publishing House: Boomkniga
Year: 2019
Number of pages: 240
Cover type: hardback
Translator: Sidorova Anna
Illustrator: Moisseinen Hanneriina
Country of origin: Finland
Age group: young adults, adults