John Fowles, a great lover of psychological mysteries, wrote a novel in which one of the important issues is the combination of happiness and freedom. The heroes of Irina Stepanovskaya’s novel also face this problem. Should a woman settle for the role that society offers her? Does a man have to be courageous in order to be a source of happiness for his girlfriend? Three women - a former housewife, a teacher and a journalist - must make their choice.