 "An Irkutsk Story" (1960) describes how the shallow and hedonistic life of 25-year-old Valya is transformed by the love of Sergei, foreman of an excavator crew building a dam in Siberia.Following the death of Sergei in a drowning accident, she finds new meaning in joining the construction crew and raising her children.This affectionate immersion into the emotional lives of his characters brought rebukes from some Soviet literary critics.