Joy of Life

After the death of her parents, ten-year-old Polina Kenyu ends up being raised by her uncle. The family lives in a small village on the shore of a hostile sea, threatening to wash away all the coastal houses from the face of the earth. Existence here is dreary, but the undaunted Polina changes the mood of those around her with her presence. At first, it seems that her cheerfulness is a childish trait that will disappear with age, but no. Even as an adult, Polina intends to be happy in spite of all the hardships and blows of fate.
This is the plot of the novel "Joy of Life" - a life-affirming story written by the classic of French literature Émile Zola (1840-1902).