This novel isn't about the cheerful young man Vitka's inability to find a footing in his life. Nor is it about the young geography teacher Sluzhkin falling in love with his own student. It's a novel about human resilience in a situation where moral values ​​are not in demand by society. It's a novel about how much courage and humility it takes to preserve a 'living soul,' to avoid succumbing to bitterness or pride, and to live by conscience and love.