Wanda, Vol. 1 (of 3)

The narrative follows an aristocratic traveller whose carriage breaks in a bleak Volga-region village, prompting a brief visit to his long-neglected manor and encounters with impoverished villagers. An old woman dramatically presents a beautiful, half-naked boy as a returned jewel, thrusting upon the lord the reality of forgotten estates, dependent lives, and obligations he had dismissed. Against sweeping plains, decaying houses, and a contrast between courtly ease and rural hardship, the story lays out social disparities, family secrets, and the personal indifference that will shape ensuing tensions.