Deep Into the Island
If you take a stroll about the Russian lands on Google Maps, you will at some point find yourself on a string of islands lost in the Pacific waters. The largest of them is Bering Island. A small settlement, Nikolskoye, is perched on its edge. Protagonist Arkasha [hypocoristic for Arkadiy] is 17. He’s been living his whole life on the island but this summer he graduates from school and prepares to leave home. He likes making...