The First Teacher

This collection includes four novellas by Chingiz Aitmatov: The First Teacher, The Mother’s Field, The White Steamship, Early Cranes, dedicated to the difficult history of his native Kyrgyzstan. The novellas, in which the everyday, realistic part intertwines with folklore and... mythology, and relative modernity intertwines with the ancient grayness of folk customs and rituals. The heroes of these novellas – both the selfless young village teacher, and the strong, proud, and fearless woman who dedicated her life to others, and the charming little dreamer, and the brave teenager with a complicated character – are simply very good people, who deeply feel love and friendship, the beauty of nature and native traditions.