Against the background of life situations in the family of a collective farm agronomist in the late 60s of the 20th century, an attempt is made to give a psychological explanation for some of the vices of adults that destroy the foundations of the family, negatively affect the psyche of children, and, in the end, poison the lives of themselves and their loved ones. Also, the fate of the Soviet tractor driver, a former prisoner of war in Germany, is contrasted with the life drama of an Italian soldier who found himself in Soviet captivity and at one time worked on a collective farm, which somehow explains the characters. In addition, the book has a place for humor and shows the customs of that time.