▁at ▁the ▁Finn ish ▁National ▁Theatre ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Pur ge ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁one ▁of ▁O ks an en ' s ▁nov els ▁which ▁has ▁been ▁translated ▁into ▁English . ▁ ▁Pur ge ▁is ▁a ▁story ▁of ▁two ▁women ▁forced ▁to ▁confront ▁their ▁own ▁dark ▁past s , ▁of ▁coll usion ▁and ▁resistance , ▁of ▁ra pe ▁and ▁sexual ▁sla very ▁set ▁against ▁the ▁back drop ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁occupation ▁of ▁Est onia . ▁ ▁Con ception ▁The ▁novel ▁was ▁originally ▁conce ived ▁as ▁a ▁play . ▁The ▁play ▁was ▁written ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁and ▁ ▁produced ▁at ▁the ▁National ▁Theatre ▁of ▁Finland . ▁In ▁writing ▁the ▁novel , ▁O ks an en ▁chose ▁for ▁the ▁plot ▁to ▁diver ge ▁from ▁its ▁original ▁ending ▁and ▁focus ▁on ▁different ▁them es . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁After ▁existing ▁as ▁an ▁independent ▁country ▁for ▁twenty - one ▁years , ▁Est onia ▁was ▁occupied ▁and ▁an nex ed ▁by ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 1 – 1 9 4 4 , ▁Est onia ▁was ▁occupied ▁by ▁Naz i ▁Germany . ▁From ▁February ▁to ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁the ▁German ▁forces ▁were ▁exp elled ▁by ▁the ▁Red ▁Army . ▁The ▁Soviet ▁rule ▁was ▁re - est ab lished ▁by ▁force , ▁and ▁sovi et isation ▁followed , ▁mostly ▁carried ▁out ▁in ▁ 1 9