Iris rukka

by Anni Swan

"Iris rukka" by Anni Swan is a girls' novel published in 1916. This Finnish Cinderella story follows twelve-year-old Iris, a motherless country girl who lives happily with relatives while her father travels as a wandering musician. When the family home must be sold, Iris is sent to Helsinki for school, becoming a ward of her wealthy uncle. There, her natural, somewhat untidy ways clash with her sophisticated city cousins, who treat her coldly. Only a few friends appreciate her authentic personality. In this unfamiliar urban environment, Iris becomes a young rebel, longing for her simple country life.