Summary of “Mad Evdokia” by Aleksin


A grief happened in the family. His wife Nadenka lost her sanity, and maybe her life. And the fault was their beloved daughter Olenka, or rather her egoism.

When was the mistake made, why did the daughter grow up like this, because all the love of the parents was given to her?

Once upon a time they were married. Nadenka has a sick heart and she should not become a mother. But the girl was born contrary to prohibitions. That’s when they put their lives at the feet of their daughter – insane parental love not only gives happiness, but can also ruin the conscience.

Olenka grew a capable girl. She drew, worked on modeling and was simply beautiful. She considered herself special and irritated about the fact that her teacher Evdokia Savelyevna belittled her dignity, which the whole class was trying to adjust to its standards.

Telling the house about the antics of Mad Evdokia, as the teacher Olenka nicknamed, the girl looked for support from her parents.

And she found it – maybe not as active as she wanted, but quiet consent for sure.

Nor did the parents notice that the girl loses friends, accusing them of betrayal, although if they were more attentive, it would become clear that their daughter is not sinless. But alas, this did not happen.

Once Yevdokia Savelievna organized a march to the places where her former beloved pupil committed a feat during the war. The children had to go the way of a bold boy. In this campaign Olya also went.

When the teacher came in the early morning and reported the loss of the girl, Nadenka held to the last. But hearing the words that the girl was allegedly found and needed to be identified, her mother’s mind could not stand it.

All present were shocked when a girl ran into the apartment. She was in a fine mood, brought a bouquet of flowers to her mother and began to tell that the first one reached the place the whole class aspired to.

Olenka said it to her mother, shared her joy, tried to reach out to her own heart, but she did not want to hear anything else, or rather could not. Grief deprived her of happiness to understand words.

Father and daughter stayed at the broken family hearth.


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Summary of “Mad Evdokia” by Aleksin