Customer Reviews
A compassionate story of love and loneliness set against an interesting background. - By: LindyLouMac, 22 Nov 2008 
Although this book is titled 'House of Orphans', we actuallly meet very few orphans, in fact only Eeva, female protagonist of the story, & Anna Lusa, who runs the orphanage. The orphanage is just used to set the scene for the story of Eeva because it is to the orphanage that she is sent when her father, a revolutionary & her only family dies.
When she is older the orphanage places her in service with a widowed doctor who finds himself fallling in love with her. So he is somewhat relieved when she decides to return to live in her home town of Helsinki, to be near her childhood sweetheart Lauri. Now a grown man himself he has also become involved in the fight for freedom against the Russians.
An opportunity for me to learn about somewhere I knew nothing about historicallly it is an absorbing account of life in Finland in the early 1900s. I preferred the earlier part of the book which is centred on Eeva's childhood growing up in the Finnish countryside & must admit to finding myself less interested in the account of the political turmoil once the story transferred to Helsinki.
A compassionate story of love & loneliness set against an interesting background.
Highly recommended - By: Jaybird, 10 May 2007 
Dunmore once returns to a historical novel, as she did in The Siege, which remains one of my favourites by her, along with A Spell in Winter. All her books, whether contemporary or historical, take their plot from the characters.
This book is set in Finland in turbulent (and fascinating) political times, but wears its research lightly.
It is the story of Eeva, daughter of a political activist, who is sent to an orphanage & from there into service, working for a country doctor.
This is a wonderful book, deft & elegant, without being difficult or condescending.
Rural Finland at the turn of the 20th C. - By: p_roux, 28 Apr 2007 I enjoyed Dunmore's description of life in rural Finland at the turn of the century. There was an attention to detail which was fascinating & her portrayal of the characters at the orphanage & the doctor & his family was sympathetic & well-researched. The poverty of the farming communitites is a stark contrast to the comforts of the Swedish speaking bourgeoisie in the early 1900s. With the doctor's help Eeva moves back to Helsinki, & her life amidst the political turmoil of the new city is again an interesting contrast to her childhood years in the security & the purity of the countryside.
Although I enjoyed the beginning of the book I felt we lost Eeva after she moved back to Helsinki. The narrative switched without transition from one character to another without developing to any climax. I was surprised when I reached the end of the book, & was frustrated that some of the characters had slid out of the novel without me noticing.
Another world - By: Avid, 03 Mar 2007 
This is one of those incredibly satisying novels that takes you into an unfamiliar world & then propels you along through terrific characters & a satisfying plot. I never knew I'd be interested in Finland in the 1900s, but I was gripped, & taken into two contrasting worlds of Helsinki the new modern city & the backwoods of the Finnish countryside. It's a love story -- a triangular one -- & it's also about revolution & terrorism & full of suspense.
The characters are by turns noble, touching & sinister -- & sometimes alll three.
Thoroughly recommended.
Misleading title - By: MaryAnne, 11 Feb 2007 Although this book is callled 'House of Orphans', we actuallly meet very few orphans, in fact only Eeva, our heroine, & Anna Marie, the lady who runs the orphanage. I would like to have become more involved in their day to day existence.
Eeva is the wonderfully described, somewhat mysterious, central character who starts the book as the only daughter of a Finnish revolutionary. He is sick, & when he dies she finds herself under the restrictive regimen of an orphanage. She is an admirably strong character & retains her integrity in spite of the harsh regime.
When she leaves the orphanage she becomes the maid for a widowed doctor who finds himself aroused by her against his better judgment. It is almost a relief when she decides to leave & return to her home town of Helsinki. Here she meets up with her childhood friend, Laurie, who is embroiled in the fight for freedom against the increasing power of Russia.
The book is a fascinating account of the struggle that was life in Finland at the turn of the last century. I certainly learnt of an historical period that was unknown to me.
