In every sense of the word, this is a big book. Not only is it a weighty tome, even as a paperback, but the span of time and place that it covers makes it a classic epic of life in Finland and on the Pacific northwest of the US.

With Finnish antecedents, the author was well placed to write about the families that sent members from Russia-occupied Finland to greater opportunities in the US in the late 1800s.

The mighty Columbia River, the state border between Washington and Oregon, and the fictional Deep River of the novel’s title, are the watercourses around which the themes of the novel are built. The immigrants brought their skills and strengths to the logging camps, the fishing boats and the salmon canneries of the region. Life was brutal and dangerous. Aino, the principal female character, who had embraced the principals of communism in Finland, then jailed and tortured for her beliefs, fled to America, joining her two brothers.

She remained stubbornly true to the cause and, while her intensity and fervour helped spread the word about the International Workers of the World union, known as Wobblies, it made her deeply unpopular in some quarters.

This gripping story ranges from the late 19th century in Finland to 1930s Oregon, taking in WWI; industrial unrest; farming and logging; salmon fishing; bootlegging during Prohibition; births, deaths and marriages; and, always, the importance of family in Aino’s life. Those fictional Finns who tamed the wilderness, coping with family tragedy as well as extreme weather, did it all with ‘sisu’ that Finnish concept described as stoic determination, tenacity of purpose, grit, bravery, resilience, and hardiness. Finns themselves believe it expresses their national character.

Marlantes reveals the inspiration for many of his characters is ‘The Kalevala’, an epic poem derived from ancient songs about mythic, shamanic heroes from prehistory in Suomi. Those names became part of the language and many Finnish children today are still named for them. His novel has illuminated an important part of US history, and the role played by those Finnish immigrants.

Reviewed by Jennifer Somerville