Les vaches de Staline

This novel serves as the first installment in a quartet of books by the author that explore the history of Estonia through the experiences of women who lived through its occupation and transition.

The title refers to the thin goats that Estonian deportees in Siberia were forced to keep, which they ironically called Stalin's cows as a mockery of Soviet propaganda claiming the regime produced exceptional livestock.

The narrative alternates between the perspective of a young woman struggling with eating disorders and a more distant, historical account of her mother's life in Estonia during the 1970s.