In Sign of Misfortune, Vasil Bykov examines with remarkable psychological insight the moral choices forced upon individuals during a period of intense crisis. Sign of Misfortune describes the plight of two elderly, Byelorussian peasants, Stepanida and Petroc, suffering the cruelties of German occupation during World War II. With keenly intelligent perception of both conquerors and conquered, Bykov tautly unfolds his tale. Not the German occupiers alone but the local polizei and other native collaborators make the lives of Petroc and Stepanida unbearable. Bykov illuminates the behavior of both patriots and traitors (Stepanida, Petroc and their fellow villagers) through flashbacks to yet an earlier time, to the era of enforced collectivization under Stalin. Bykov's enormous humanity is reflected in the portrayal of individuals faced with difficult choices. Stepanida, reacting to all adversity while still retaining her integrity, humanity and instinctive sense of right and wrong, is particularly endearing. Vasil Bykov (Bykau, b. 1924), winner of the Lenin Prize, the USSR State Prize and the Byelorussian State Prize, is one of the most respected contemporary authors in the Soviet Union and Byelorussia's leading novelist. Bykov "enjoys in his own country the reputation of a masterful prose writer, a Soviet Hemingway, a hero of courageous reportage, and a survivor" (Prof. George Gibian, Cornell University), has over 16 million copies of his books in print and has been translated into 15 languages and published throughout the world. While all of Bykov's novels are set in World War II, in which he himself fought from beginning to end, his keen psychological perception provides scope and freshness to his themes. With the war as an impetus, Bykov writes poignant, penetrating stories about individual ability to endure harsh and painful personal misfortune.