The protagonist of the series "At the Crossroads of Joy and Sorrow," Vera, has lived her whole life in St. Petersburg, but now she has to leave her hometown and go to the Russian countryside. She finds a job at a small provincial school, where she will teach literature. On her very first day, Vera has an incident with a headstrong student named Dasha. Vera is unhappy with the girl's behavior, unaware that the teenager is dealing with significant family problems.