The book is a collection of colorful stories spanning a quarter century. It includes a story about a man traveling through his home and wandering far away; a dead man coming to see his wife; a statue ringing a bell and what happened; a story about a monk followed by the devil and a horse that stopped where it wasn't asked. Roman Shmarakov (b. 1971) is a contemporary Russian writer, poet, and translator. He holds a Doctor of Philology.
The cover features a fragment from Joos van Craesbeeck's painting "The Temptation of Saint Anthony" (1650).