The Tale of the Red-Haired Girl

This tale makes readers of all ages emotionally involved, forcing them to keenly experience the joys and sorrows of the heroine — a girl named Eva with unruly red hair and a surprisingly independent character. It's hard to put the... book down until the last page is turned. The events of the tale, described in a vivid and colorful language, come to life: a provincial town on the Kama River with its quiet streets and snow-covered squares, realistic boys and high school girls, the first ball, first love, friends and enemies, a mother and a stepmother, a house that «nobody wants to live in»… The tale is particularly enhanced by the remarkably expressive, plastic illustrations of the outstanding artist Georgy Petrovich Fitinhof. With just a few strokes, this master of book illustrations manages to convey the character and mood of the hero: the fragile charm of the girl, the majestic dignity of the grandmother, the stern nature of the father, the timid charm of the lame dog Krivulka.