Can a person start life anew if the tragedy that happened has completely crossed it out? The main character of the story, Pyotr Ivanovich Krasavin, having lost his wife and son, was able to go through the difficult stages of rebirth and feel a new taste for life. The history of two generations of the Krasavin family is closely connected with the history of their homeland. The emphasis is constantly placed on fundamentally vital issues, forcing the reader to think about the meaning of life.