Elena вÐ"†molodaia, krasivaia devushka s pylkim kharakterom, vospitannaia v krepkoi krestianskoi seme, zakanchivaet zhenskuiu gimnaziiu i mechtaet o bolshoi liubvi i iarkoi, nasyshchennoi zhizni. Ee zhelaniia kazhutsia neispolnimymi, tak kak nevozmozhno izmenit slozhivshiisia vekami zhiznennyi uklad. Elenu otdaiut zamuzh za neliubimogo muzhchinu, ona pomogaet muzhu v khoziaistve i torgovle, no goriachaia natura zhazhdet bolshego. Neozhidanno vstrechaetsia tot, o kotorom, kak ei kazalos, ona mechtala tak dolgo i kotoryi mozhet prevratit zhizn Eleny v prazdnik. Ona ukhodit ot muzha i vsia otdaetsia svoemu novomu chuvstvu. Prokhodit neskolko let, v techenie kotorykh Elena perezhivaet mnozhestvo nevospolnimykh poter, razocharovanii, prezhde chem k nei prikhodit ponimanie i raskaianie v sodeiannom. Parallelno s liubovnoi dramoi geroini, avtor pokazyvaet slozhnye sudby ee rodnykh i odnoselchan. Proshedshie cherez gornilo ispytanii i poter, geroi ukrepliaiutsia v mysli, chto osnova chelovecheskoi zhizni вÐ"†eto semia i vera, rodnaia zemlia, daiushchie sily i podderzhku. Roman otlichaetsia svoei osoboi intonatciei i budet interesen samomu shirokomu krugu chitatelei.