The central character is Polina Moroz, a woman who has earned respect in her village of Zavidovo. She is a gifted doctor and could work in the city, but she chooses to stay where she feels needed. Passions run high in the province, and the problems of the local residents, whether it's dividing property or the misdeeds of criminal spouses, are only different from those in the city in that they happen for all to see. Polina often finds herself acting as a psychologist for her fellow villagers.