The novel is based on the real events that took place in Buryatia in 1986.

In the taiga, poachers killed the bear-cub in the thrill of the race. The thunderous echo was still heard, and she-bear rushed out from the nearby bushes. And men fired again. But ignoring the wounds, she swept away the murderers of her bear-cub... Two blows... Two deaths...

The loss of the bear-cub, physical wounds, pain, and rage made she-bear seek vengeance. As the result, thirteen men were dead... The story took place in the forestry of Klyuevka. In connection with the appearance of the bear-killer in the region, the local forester decided to conduct a large-scale raid. He gathered a group of experienced hunters, headed by the senior hunter Mikhail Svetlov, and set them the task to kill the wounded she-bear. While Mikhail was in the forest and prepared traps for the beast, a tragedy happened in his family. His wife gave birth to a baby... Unfortunately, the baby was dead. Upon receiving the terrible news, Mikhail refused to participate in the raid, realizing that he and she-bear had experienced the same grief. And he could not take the life of she-bear... of the mother, as she had become a killer only because of the people. But nobody could predict that the fate of the unhappy young family and she-bear would be unexpectedly connected. And the outcome was soon to come...