Elder Ambrose’s Apple Trees

“Elder Ambrose’s Apple Trees” is evidence of the multifaceted talent of Euthymia (Pashchenko), who writes with equal ease both action-packed stories from contemporary life and tales about the destinies of ancient Christians. Among their characters are bishops and patricians, monks and harlots, criminals and ascetics.
From childhood we are taught that good always triumphs over evil, but what are we to do if life teaches entirely different lessons? How can one withstand temptations, how can one fulfill the Christian commandment to love one’s enemies, how can one come to terms with the baseness of the people closest to you? How can one remain human in an inhuman world, where it is often unclear who is the hero and who is the villain? And is there on earth anything immutable, true, independent of the country and century in which we live, and of who we ourselves are?..