“In the dense and motley crowd of my childhood, I stand out like a sore thumb—a stranger to all.”
Chapter 1: The Death of Alexei’s Father
The story begins with the death of Alexei Peshkov’s father, Varvara’s husband, when Alexei is just four years old. The boy witnesses his father lying pale and still, surrounded by strangers. His mother, Varvara, is devastated, and soon after, she gives birth prematurely to a baby who dies. Alexei, his mother, and his grandmother Akulina Ivanovna travel by boat to Nizhny Novgorod to live with his grandfather’s family.
Chapter 2: Life in the Kashirin Household
Alexei’s grandfather, Vasily Kashirin, is a harsh and miserly dye-works owner. The household is filled with tension, particularly between Alexei’s uncles, Mikhail and Yakov, who constantly fight over inheritance. Alexei is frightened by their cruelty but finds solace in his kind and superstitious grandmother, who tells him folk tales and shields him from the worst of the family’s violence.
Chapter 3: The Whipping
After an incident where Alexei dyes a tablecloth blue (encouraged by his mischievous uncle), his grandfather brutally whips him as punishment. The beating leaves Alexei bedridden for days, but his grandmother nurses him back to health. This marks the beginning of his growing awareness of injustice and cruelty.
Chapter 4: Friendship with the Boarders
Alexei befriends three lodgers renting rooms in the Kashirin house—”Good Deed,” a quiet intellectual; a soldier; and a church chorister. “Good Deed” encourages Alexei’s curiosity, but the grandfather eventually drives the lodgers away, deepening Alexei’s sense of isolation.
Chapter 5: The Fire
A massive fire breaks out in the dye-works, and Alexei watches as his grandmother bravely rushes into the flames to save a trapped horse. The event further cements his admiration for her strength, while his uncles and grandfather react with selfishness and cowardice.
Chapter 6: The Death of Tsyganok
Alexei grows close to Tsyganok, an apprentice in the household, who is kind and protective of him. Tragically, Tsyganok is crushed to death while carrying an impossibly heavy cross for Alexei’s uncles, who had callously assigned him the dangerous task. His death leaves Alexei heartbroken.
Chapter 7: Further Hardships
Alexei’s mother, Varvara, returns briefly but is unhappy and soon leaves again. The grandfather divides the household, forcing Alexei and his grandmother into poverty. They survive by collecting rags and bones, but despite their struggles, his grandmother remains a source of warmth and resilience.
Chapter 8: A New Life with His Mother
Alexei’s mother eventually returns with a new husband, Maxim, and takes Alexei to live with them. However, their marriage is unhappy, and Maxim is abusive. After a violent argument, Varvara sends Alexei back to his grandfather, where conditions have worsened.
Chapter 9: School and Suffering
Alexei starts school but faces bullying due to his poverty. Meanwhile, his mother dies, leaving him an orphan. His grandfather coldly tells him he must now “make his own way in life,” forcing him into the harsh world of labor.
Key Ideas
- The brutality of poverty and its impact on family dynamics.
- The contrast between cruelty and kindness in human nature.
- The resilience of the human spirit in oppressive conditions.
- The loss of innocence through hardship.
- The role of storytelling as a means of escape and wisdom.
Who should read this book?
- Readers interested in autobiographical Russian literature.
- Those exploring themes of childhood trauma and resilience.
- Fans of social realism and historical narratives.
- Writers studying vivid, emotionally charged prose.