Eduard Vernkin is a modern writer, a multiple winner of the “Dear Dream” literary prize, a winner of the “Kniguru” contest, the winner of the S. Mikhalkov contest, and one of the most striking contemporary authors for teenagers. His books are unusual, even though they seem to be about everyday life. They amaze, overturn your usual picture of the world—and even do it through a story that is always masterfully told, as well as through what remains off-screen. The novel “Gerda” is a story of growing up that often happens suddenly—not because the child has reached an age, but because right here and now you have to make a difficult decision, and there is no one you can ask for clues. It’s a love story, although you won’t find the word “love” itself, nor direct descriptions of this feeling. And it’s a story of a miracle that sometimes has a dark side. It’s also a story about choice—the choice of a road, friends, and fate. One turn, and you can’t return to your previous life. And whether that is good or bad becomes clear much later. Above all, though, it’s high-class prose. “Gerda” is published for the first time.