
audiobook
Produced by Tapio Riikonen
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In the quiet summer of 1596, a small parish gathers in the modest chapel of Salojärvi. Pastor Martti returns home, weary from a long service, only to be met with his wife Riitta’s sharp rebuke and the bright‑eyed presence of their teenage daughter Anna, whose youthful curiosity about the surrounding woods hints at a world beyond the narrow confines of village life. The family’s banter, tinged with the everyday worries of cold meals and lingering sermons, quickly turns serious when Marti is called to read a mysterious proclamation that has arrived from distant authorities.
The document speaks of unrest in the northern lands, accusing traitors and hinting at a looming conflict that could reach even this remote community. As the pastor’s voice rises over the kitchen table, listeners are drawn into the tension between duty, faith, and the fear of what the next summons might demand. The opening sets a vivid portrait of 16th‑century rural Finland, where ordinary lives are poised on the brink of larger, unsettling events.
Language
fi
Duration
~3 hours (178K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
Mar 10, 2005
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1813–1899
A pioneer of Finnish-language journalism and drama, he helped bring written Finnish into public life in the 1800s. His newspaper work and plays made him an important early voice in Finland’s literary culture.
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