The book by the outstanding Russian writer, State Prize laureate, Hero of Socialist Labor Mikhail Nikolaevich Alekseev (1918–2007) includes the novel “The Cherry Whirlpool” and the story “Bread is a Noun.” This is a kind of artistic chronicle of the destinies of the Russian peasantry over the course of an entire century: 1870–1970s. The dramatic fates of the heroes are intertwined with the socio-political upheavals of the era: the First World War, revolution, collectivization, the Great Patriotic War, the revival of the country in the post-war period... The reader’s soul cannot but be touched by the beautiful female characters - Frosya the Cherry from “The Cherry Pool” and the Crane from the story "Bread is a noun." These works were repeatedly filmed and enjoyed well-deserved success with audiences.