Dad left for a business trip overnight, and a few days later, Mom and little brother disappeared without a trace, leaving Shurka and Tanya alone. 'The Raven took them,' everyone whispers. But who is this Raven, and who will show them the way? The border between Raven's city and an ordinary city is easy to cross—but only one way. Only after realizing that Raven is everywhere in Leningrad in 1938 will the fearless Shurka be able to rebel against its gray kingdom. Shurka and Tanya's childhood fell during a difficult time: Stalin's terror, the war, and the post-war years.

The fairy tale novel 'The Raven's Children,' the first book in the 'Leningrad Tales' series, tells the story of these dark pages in our country's history. It tells about fear and courage, about indifference and hope, about how even in childhood, when you depend in many ways on others, on adults, you can and should remain free, despite the times.