▁Soviet ▁system ▁failed . ▁Although ▁the ▁armed ▁resistance ▁was ▁defeated , ▁the ▁population ▁remained ▁anti - S ov iet . ▁This ▁helped ▁Est oni ans ▁to ▁organ ise ▁a ▁new ▁resistance ▁movement ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁reg ain ▁their ▁independence ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁and ▁then ▁rapidly ▁develop ▁a ▁modern ▁society . ▁ ▁Plot ▁The ▁plot ▁begins ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁with ▁an ▁elder ly ▁woman , ▁Ali ide ▁Tru u , ▁who ▁lives ▁in ▁a ▁remote ▁portion ▁of ▁Est onia . ▁The ▁woman ▁had ▁isolated ▁herself ▁from ▁the ▁surrounding ▁society ▁and ▁watch es ▁the ▁youth ▁of ▁her ▁nation , ▁including ▁her ▁daughter , ▁leaving ▁the ▁coun tr ys ide ▁for ▁the ▁more ▁urban ▁regions ▁and ▁Finland . ▁One ▁day ▁while ▁looking ▁out ▁the ▁kitchen ▁window , ▁she ▁disco vers ▁Z ara , ▁the ▁grand d augh ter ▁of ▁her ▁sister ▁In gel . ▁Z ara ▁had ▁been ▁forced ▁into ▁▁▁ ▁sex ▁trade ▁by ▁the ▁Russian ▁ma f ia , ▁but ▁has ▁escaped ▁from ▁them . ▁The ▁only ▁guide ▁she ▁had ▁to ▁finding ▁help ▁is ▁a ▁photograph ▁from ▁her ▁grand m other ▁with ▁Ali ide ' s ▁name ▁on ▁it . ▁The ▁story ▁then ▁continues ▁with ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁flash back s , ▁which ▁develop s ▁the ▁relationship ▁between ▁Ali ide ▁and ▁her ▁sister , ▁which ▁h ing ed ▁upon ▁their ▁competition ▁for ▁the ▁love ▁of ▁Hans ▁P ek k ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁The ▁story ▁ends ▁as ▁Ali ide ▁begins