I don't know where I can start from but one thing to say for sure is that I LOVED this book. Being born in Russia myself I feel the world of the characters created by Soviet authors really close to my own mentality. And, to my own surprise I missed reading Soviet books a lot. There is a very specific way of story telling those authors use to recreate their fiction world. And that fiction world becomes alive in front of your eyes. They not only create every character and show his character slowly in front of you, but they make you take a look at their deepest thoughts, concerns, wishes, hopes. All that in so little pages! I felt like I've read Sholokhov's Tihyi Don all of a sudden.
The book is split into three parts and each part tells about important period in Assya's live. Alongside we get acquainted with doctor's life, view and mentality and it is striking how less everything has changed in current ages. We can still meet those talented doctors who really care about their patients while on the other side are those that should not be practicing this profession at all.
The book makes us think about important matters as life, love, hope, diseases in the contemporary society (not only real diseases but also diseases of the mentality like laziness, lack of feelings, etc.), and makes us realize what is really important for us. The storyline also got developed in two places - Sibir and Crim, so in the last two parts of the book we get stunning descriptions of the sea as well (which for sea lover like me were real blessing). It definitely goes to my favorites shelf.