Firewing

An expansive, emotionally rich bildungsroman and epic tale covering large parts of the 20th century, Firewing follows a group of immigrants in search of a paradise, and one boy whose biggest dream is to fly—no matter what it takes.

In an America ravaged by the Great Depression, a family with a Finnish background hears rumours of a workers’ paradise being built in the Soviet Union. They leave everything behind and travel across the Atlantic in search of a better future. They arrive in Petrozavodsk on the shores of Lake Onega, but soon realize that life in Soviet Karelia is not a paradise but a struggle for survival. In the middle of it all is Charles, the only son, and his dreams of freedom and flying offer the only escape from the harsh realities and the circle of deception around him.

Firewing is an immigrant coming-of-age story about trying to find a way through the turmoil of the early 20th century. It is a sublime and profound novel about a boy who only wants to fly.