I ordered this online not realising that it was a YA novel (Bykov wrote adult stuff too). I am not a fan of kid's fiction, even when they address fairly adult themes (perhaps especially when they address adult themes), but this was okay. It is the story of four partisans (3 wounded men, one pregnant woman) fighting the Germans and the polizei (Soviet citizens fighting for the Nazis) in the swamps and forests of the Eastern front in World War II. They are told to abandon camp, and make their way back to base for the medical attention they need. Encountering resistance along the way, the book's hero (Levchuk) takes charge, determined to bring his party safely home, against an overwhelming enemy.
Like I said, this was a YA book. It is a fairly straightforward account of one man's heroism, which borders on Boy's Own stuff. However, the 4 characters are actually fairly interesting (the woman perhaps being the exception) and their interactions drive the book along nicely. There is little in the way of complex morality, but Bykov does not shy away from tragedy and disappointment, creating a genuine sense of unease in the reader. If I had known that this wasn't written with an adult audience in mind, I wouldn't have picked it up, and wouldn't have missed it if I hadn't, but it could have been a lot worse than it was.