In this episode of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful sits down with Finnish‑Canadian author and book coach Liisa Kovala, creator of the Substack community Women Writing. Together they explore the idea of sisu—the Finnish spirit of grit and quiet determination—and how it shapes the lives and stories of women who keep writing through doubt, scarcity, and competing responsibilities.

Drawing on her latest novel, Like Water for Weary Souls, Liisa talks about Finnish immigration, utopian communities, and the fragile bonds of family during the Great Depression. The conversation moves from the icy shores and work camps of the North to the emotional interior lives of her characters, showing how history, faith, and hard choices echo across generations ...