"Tangerine Forest" by Maria Metlitskaya, summary Automatic translate

This book is a collection of life stories, created in 2021. The text recounts the lives of women, laced with personal tragedies, complex moral dilemmas, and the search for a peaceful family life. Structurally, the work is divided into three independent stories. The heroines face difficult trials, overcome the pain of loss, and try to maintain their dignity in the face of harsh circumstances.

This collection is published as part of the author’s series "Women’s Fates. The Cozy Prose of Maria Metlitskaya." Along with other titles in this series, such as "Beware, Doors Are Closing" and "Overlooking Neskuchny," the book offers a realistic perspective on everyday life. The characters lack perfect appearances; they are ordinary people with routine concerns.

Story One. Tangerine Forest

A young woman, Natasha, grew up in a poor working-class neighborhood known as Voronya Slobodka. The locals drink heavily, work hard, and die early. The heroine’s sister, Tatyana, follows a familiar pattern: she marries the boorish alcoholic Valerik. Natasha reads Dumas novels, stuffing cotton wool in her ears to drown out her brother-in-law’s drunken ramblings. Escaping a similar fate, she succumbs to the persuasion of her cynical friend Lyudmila and gets a job as a model at an art school. There, she falls hopelessly in love with the withdrawn Avar student, Chingiz Galayev.

The artist paints an unusual painting, "Tangerine Forest." Orange tangerines glow on the dark branches of the spruce trees. Chingiz tells Natasha a story about a forest that grants the cherished wishes of those who persistently pursue their goals. The artist invites her to his basement studio on Ostozhenka Street. A romance blossoms between the young people, but Galaev maintains an emotional distance. Soon, he leaves for Dagestan to be with his dying father.

Returning to collect his documents, Chingiz informs Natasha of his impending wedding. He promised his father to marry a local girl. Pride prevents Natasha from admitting her pregnancy. She leaves a farewell note in the studio, but a cleaning lady accidentally throws it away. The artist leaves forever. Four years later, Chingiz dies of a hereditary kidney disease, never knowing about his son.

Natasha gives birth to a boy, Sasha, and raises him alone. She rejects the path of her former friend, Lyudmila, who becomes the kept woman of an elderly official, who suddenly dies in her bed. Having robbed the deceased, Lyudmila begins to live in prosperity, but feels an inner emptiness and ultimately abandons her newborn daughter, who has Down syndrome. Natasha learns to be a hairdresser, sets up a modest home in Moscow’s Cheryomushki district, and showers her child with unconditional care. Nina, a medical intern who becomes a loyal friend, provides her with immense support.

When Sasha turns eleven, doctors discover a serious tumor. Nina’s brother, surgeon Vadim, performs the operation brilliantly. In the hospital room, Natasha recreates a living tangerine forest for her recovering son. She brings fir branches and decorates them with real tangerines. Vadim, who has been watching Natasha for many years, develops a deep feeling for her.

Story Two. Aliens

Architects Sergey and Liliya Kotov have been trying for a long time to have a child, without success. Tired of unsuccessful treatments, the couple decides to adopt. They choose two-year-old Misha Doronin from an orphanage. During his first sleepless night, Sergey quickly becomes attached to the boy and loves him with all his heart. Liliya experiences profound alienation. She struggles to play the role of a happy mother; she can’t love her adopted child.

While preparing for a vacation together on the Sea of Azov, Lilia breaks down. Tormented by guilt and internal conflict, she confesses to her husband her inability to be a proper mother. Lilia runs away, leaving Sergei and Misha. At the seaside, Sergei and their son live in resort shacks and meet a lonely teacher, Vera. A fleeting attraction develops, but Sergei suppresses it, remaining loyal to his broken family. Returning to Moscow, Kotov finds his apartment empty. His wife has left him for good.

Sergey raises Misha alone. As the years pass, the boy matures and develops a passion for chemistry. Sergey hires a tutor, Nadiya, for extra English lessons. The intelligent, dark-skinned woman immediately captivates the single father. A tender romantic relationship develops between them, and Nadiya becomes a frequent guest in their home.

When his teacher announces she’s pregnant, Sergei decides to officially end his marriage to his runaway wife. He travels to Lilia’s last known address in Balashikha, near Moscow. His neighbor, Ekaterina Ivanovna, stuns Sergei with the news: Lilia was killed in a car accident six months ago.

Another astonishing detail is revealed. Lilia did indeed give birth to a daughter from a casual encounter. She loved the baby dearly, but after her sudden death, the girl, named Masha, was sent to an orphanage. Without a moment’s hesitation, Sergei decides to take in the orphan. Misha, a boy, had long dreamed of having a little sister, for whom he had already chosen the name Masha.

Story three. Let’s say goodbye.

Renowned writer Evgenia Sokolskaya receives a letter from a reader named Lyudmila from Akademgorodok, Siberia. A correspondence ensues. The writer often encounters critical people who find errors in her writing, but Lyudmila proves to be a tactful and cheerful woman. She practices Argentine tango, skis, reads a lot, and cares for a ginger cat. A distant yet very warm spiritual connection develops between the women.

A year later, the Siberian woman suddenly announces she’s being hospitalized with terminal cancer. Another letter arrives soon after. The woman refuses the excruciating chemotherapy. She’s giving herself six months to say goodbye to an old friend in Minsk and see the winter sea. Lyudmila plans to voluntarily end her life in the icy waves of Yalta or Sochi, to dissolve into the elements and not become a burden to anyone.

Evgenia is horrified. The writer recalls her speech at a suburban oncology center, where her faithful assistant, Svetlana, brought her. Back then, Evgenia was trying to instill faith in the desperate patients. The image of Olya Reznikova, a skinny orphanage girl who had given up hope of recovery, comes to mind. In response to her words of encouragement, the girl scornfully said, "I didn’t expect such vulgarity from you!" The writer writes a passionate, emotional email to Lyudmila. Evgenia begs the Siberian woman to abandon her terrifying plan.

There was no answer. Several months later, the writer received a parcel containing Lyudmila’s diary. The entries revealed the horrific truth about the Siberian woman’s past. She lost her husband, and then her only son died of an overdose of illegal drugs. Lyudmila found the strength to survive this nightmare, learned to enjoy simple things again, but ultimately succumbed to her fatal illness. Evgenia often imagines a lonely figure plunging into the cold, leaden waves of the sea.

Life gives Evgenia a bright surprise. After some time, she meets her friend Svetlana from St. Petersburg. Svetlana shares amazing news she heard from Larisa Vasilyevna, the head nurse at the oncology center. It turns out that the terminally ill orphan Olya has recovered thanks to an expensive drug. She’s gained weight, met her fiancé, an electrician, and is preparing for her wedding. Evgenia realizes that true miracles do happen, offering salvation even in the most hopeless of times.