I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All opinions are my own. 

A woman facing a terrible illness must wrestle with the weight of her past in author Liisa Kovala’s “Sisu’s Winter War.”

The Synopsis

When memories threaten to disappear, past promises must be confronted.

Meri Saari made a promise to her dying mother that she would keep the family together, but she was too young to know how a war can pull people apart. With the Soviet invasion of Finland, Meri pledges loyalty to the Lotta Svärds and becomes the sole caretaker for her siblings. When her father goes missing in action, she finds herself searching for him on the front lines.

Forty years later, living in northern Ontario, Meri’s past and present collide when she is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. Responsible for her granddaughter, and navigating a strained relationship with her daughter Linnea, Meri is haunted by the people of her past and by the promises she failed to keep. As she struggles against her inevitable decline, she knows her losses are amassing: her home, her health, and her memories. Meri embarks on one last journey in search of the man she had to give up, before it’s too late. Before everything disappears.

THE REVIEW

This was a powerful and gripping novel. The story blended historical fiction with wartime drama, with the tone of contemporary women’s fiction. The stark imagery of the cold winter, both in the protagonist’s past in Finland and in her present-day experiences in Ontario, Canada, left a lasting impression that allowed readers to feel fully immersed in both past and present.

This novel expertly balanced real-world events with fictional storytelling and powerful character dynamics. The juxtaposition of the protagonist’s struggles in the past depicts a grueling war for survival, while also trying to keep her family together, and the modern-day struggles of still keeping her family together in different circumstances admit a frightening reality. The diagnosis was a truly powerful thing to read. The ghost of the protagonist passed quite literally to make themselves known, as her mental decline as this disease progresses speaks to the volume of self-sacrifice that so many endured during times of war, while also highlighting human resilience and untold tragedy.

THE VERDICT

Compelling, gripping, and engaging, author Liisa Kovala’s “Sisu’s Winter War” is a must-read contemporary drama-meets-historical-fiction novel. The personal stakes the protagonist faces in both the past and present storylines, along with the shocking twists and turns those events bring to light and the emotional, heartfelt storytelling, will resonate with readers and keep them engaged as the story progresses. If you haven’t yet, please be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

Liisa Kovala is an award-winning Finnish-Canadian author and book coach. Her most recent historical novel, Like Water for Weary Souls, won a Global Book Award for women’s fiction. Sisu’s Winter War was her debut (Latitude 46, 2022). Surviving Stutthof (Latitude 46, 2017), recounts her father’s experiences as a Finnish merchant marine imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp in Poland. It was short-listed for a Northern Lit Award in 2018 and was translated into Finnish. Liisa is a member of The Writers’ Union of Canada and the Canadian Authors Association. Liisa also writes the Hygge House Cozy Mystery series as A. L. Jensen (debuting in early 2026). Her work explores her Finnish heritage and celebrates the northern landscape she calls home.

https://www.liisakovalabookcoach.com

https://www.instagram.com/liisakovala