Zora, a Cruel Tale

Winner of the 2013 Robert-Cliche Prize, a literary prize awarded annually for an original French language work by a Canadian author who has not previously published a novel.Zora, the Cruel is a Gothic tale of the macabre, about the adventures of an irrepressible young woman named Zora Korteniemi in a fictional part of Karelia, part of the murky border between Finland and Russia, in the days of horseback.This tale unfolds in a non-existent portion of the actually existing province of Karelia, in what was then the Grand Duchy of Finland, and touches on the creation of the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic.The protagonist, Zora, is a combination Pollyanna / Marquis de Sade, and lovers of fantasy, surreal fiction, and Gothic fiction will definitely enjoy this book. The book's over-the-top approach should open up a younger market.