The Stones Sing

In the alternative reality of the new novel by Alexandra Shalashova, the heroes experience a deep internal crisis and are immersed in memories of a catastrophe that happened to them in the past. However, the boundary between "remembering" and "forgetting" in this world is shaky and conditional: here, anyone can be subjected to the influence of the Reader, a neuro-correction device, and end up forgotten by everyone.
At the center is the story of complex and painful relationships between a teacher and a student. The teacher promises Lesha a new life outside the orphanage — and creates a community of children united by ideas of freedom and universal equality beyond the state. Lesha becomes deeply and sincerely attached to the teacher, until one day the teacher commits betrayal.
It seems that only the Reader can help forget the betrayal. But what if the machine malfunctions — and parting with the past forever turns out to be impossible? The hero faces a difficult choice — to remain an ordinary person or continue the path of his teacher? The Reader, seeing his clearly open book, allows him to make this choice.