1759. The Russian Empire. A band of robber peasants attacks the Pashkov estate. The entire family of the Pashkov nobles is cruelly murdered. The only one who manages to escape is Katyusha Pashkova. Fleeing from the robbers into the dark winter forest at night, the eighteen-year-old girl unexpectedly meets a stranger living deep in the forest thicket—he helps her. However, the naive girl doesn’t even suspect that after this she will end up in a «trap» from which it is not so easy to break free.
From the author: I write about the 10th–19th centuries of Russian history. In my books I describe the realities of those centuries with a rigid patriarchal order in relationships, with the man holding the leading position over women, who were forced to obey—such was the social way of life. In my books there is no abuse as it might seem. If I wrote about equality of women of that time, about maidens screaming their “I,” about gentle unicorns—it would be a lie. I write novels based on historical facts. This is real truth about that time and those morals.