Virgin Soil Upturned: Book One by Mikhail Sholokhov, the Nobel Prize-winning author of And Quiet Flows the Don, is a monumental work of Soviet literature that vividly portrays the social and emotional upheaval of collectivization in rural Russia during the early 1930s. Through its rich realism, powerful characters, and profound moral insight, this novel stands as one of the most authentic and humane depictions of the Soviet countryside in transition.

The story unfolds in the Don region, where traditional peasant life collides with the new socialist order. Sholokhov masterfully captures the struggles, hopes, and contradictions of this transformative era — as the collective farm movement challenges centuries-old customs and class divisions. Central to the novel are characters like Davydov, the committed communist sent to organize a collective farm, and Nagirny, the old-world peasant resisting the change — both symbols of the tension between the past and the revolutionary future.

Blending lyrical prose with psychological depth, Virgin Soil Upturned reveals Sholokhov’s extraordinary ability to humanize history. His portrayal of conflict, sacrifice, and renewal transcends propaganda, offering a deeply emotional and realistic account of the Soviet peasantry’s adaptation to socialism.

As Book One of a two-part epic, it lays the foundation for a sweeping narrative of struggle, transformation, and human resilience. A cornerstone of socialist realism, this novel remains essential for readers of Russian literature, political history, and 20th-century social fiction.

PUBLISHER: PROGRESS PUBLISHERS MOSCOW

BINDING: HARD COVER

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

PAGES: 394