Holovna heroyinya povisti — zvychayna sil′s′ka zhinka. Ale v tsentri uvahy Ulasa Samchuka ne sil′s′kyy pobut, a bahatomanitnist′ i povnota zhyttya ukrayins′koyi lyudyny, vysoka moral′nist′, blahorodstvo, shlyachetnist′, pratselyubstvo, inshi chesnoty, yaki tayilo v sobi ukrayins′ke selo. Dolya Mariyi — yaskrave svidchennya zhubnosti nav’yazanoho kolektyvizatsiyeyu sposobu zhyttya, vtraty Ukrayinoyu svobody. SCHyrist′ i rozvazhlyvyy styl′ opovidi dayut′ mozhlyvist′ chytachevi ne til′ky zbahnuty rozumom, ale y vidchuty sertsem trahichnist′ holodomoru, bezzachysnist′ lyudyny pered tsym zlom. Povist′ chytayet′sya z velykym interesom, trymaye chytacha v napruzi vid pochatku do kintsya i, nezvazhayuchy na dramatychnist′ doli personazhiv, vyklykaye u n′oho svitli pochuttya.