
E-text prepared by Anna Siren and Tapio Riikonen
I.
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
In the warm glow of a Helsinki ballroom, a lively crowd of aristocrats and artists circles a newly arrived scholar, Vitold Dargis. Fresh from his studies abroad, Dargis—tall, thoughtful, and fluent in many tongues—finds himself the center of curious conversation about language, identity, and the tangled map of Europe’s smaller nations.
Among the guests are two striking sisters, Agnes and her older sibling, whose sparkling eyes and poised manners conceal a deep yearning to master the words of love in every language they hear. When Agnes asks Dargis to help her repeat a simple, timeless phrase—“I love you”—in Lithuanian, the moment becomes a delicate dance of curiosity, vulnerability, and cultural exchange.
The novel follows Dargis as he navigates the bustling streets of Helsinki and the quieter countryside, seeking a teacher of Finnish while becoming entwined in the sisters’ world. Their budding connections reveal how love and language can bridge borders, setting the stage for a story that feels both intimate and richly historic.
Language
fi
Duration
~4 hours (265K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
Mar 12, 2018
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1871–1951
A major Finnish writer of the early 20th century, she explored social questions and inner conflict with unusual intensity. Her work ranged from novels and short stories to plays, speeches, and biographies, and many readers knew her especially for her writing on temperance.
View all books
by Maila Talvio

by Maila Talvio

by Maila Talvio

by Maila Talvio

by Maila Talvio

by Maila Talvio

by Maila Talvio

by Maila Talvio