Representing the best
Finnish authors abroad
Finnish authors abroad
What happens when a fiercely independent Finnish bohemian who has never believed in fairy tales ends up trapped in a French château during the Covid lockdowns and falls in love with an aristocrat?
Drawing on her own life, Henrika de Kermadec takes readers from the queer underground scene of Tampere to Provence, Brittany and the world of the French nobility. Inside the château’s ancient walls, champagne flows, social conventions collide, and an unexpected romance begins to reshape everything. Finding common ground in a shared experience of not quite belonging, two seemingly unlikely people are drawn together, and romance grows into love. As the narrator adapts to life in the château, the aristocrat, in turn, embraces the simplicity of the Finnish countryside. Yet the couple faces resistance, not only from the world around them but also from within.
Witty, self-aware and deeply engaging, No Title is much more than a love story. Offering both escapism and substance, the book balances romance and adventure with sharp social observation and psychological insight. It is a story about freedom and isolation, class and roles, identity and belonging, and the transformative power of embracing the unexpected.
Finnish edition
English sample
English synopsis
Estonian: Hea Lugu
‘De Kermadec’s storytelling is vivid, cinematic and effortlessly engaging, enriched by subtle reflections on society and perceptive psychological observations.’ —Kikka Holmberg, Kulttuuritoimitus
‘With keen observation and vibrant detail, the book captures life inside a French château: its wine-soaked evenings, an unlikely love story, cultural and class differences.’ —Pihla Hintikka, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper
‘NO TITLE is an incredibly compelling story, told with such skill and charm that it won me over from the very first page. Henrika de Kermadec is a remarkable storyteller, and I can only hope there will be a sequel. I wholeheartedly recommend this book. NO TITLE is no fluffy romance. It is real life, albeit with a fairy-tale quality.’ —kirjavinkit.fi
‘One of the book’s greatest strengths is its striking contrast between worlds. The protagonist is an independent free spirit from Tampere’s queer underground scene, someone instinctively resistant to authority and convention, yet she finds herself in an environment that could hardly be more different. After all, how often does someone end up in France renovating a château, spending the Covid lockdown drinking champagne within its walls, and falling in love with the Castellan’s son?
Written with the immediacy of a diary, the book is effortlessly engaging and highly readable. I, for one, simply couldn’t put it down.’ —kirjahampaan_kolotus bookstagram
