The novel “Free Will” takes place in the Far East. The conflict grows between local hunters and fishermen on one side and the police on the other—who collect tribute from the illegal poaching business in the area. The village residents split into those who are ready—even glad—to finally submit to the new order, and those who strive for “lawlessness.” The latter go into the taiga, trying either to hide from their pursuers or to break ties with the civilized world.