About the book: 1963 / Vera Ketlinskaya is well known to Soviet readers for her novels “Courage,” “Under Siege,” and “Days of Our Lives.” In her new novel, “Otherwise it’s not worth living,” the writer talks about people with creative work and big dreams. Her characters live difficult, exciting and intense lives. They follow unbeaten paths in science and technology: they are working on the implementation of the deeply humane idea of ​​underground gasification of coal, which will free humanity from hard and dangerous underground labor, on the problems of remaking nature in the interests of society. The events of the novel take place in an alarming pre-war time, in a complex, politically charged, dramatic situation. People of three generations live in the novel. The writer generously reveals their interests, actions, disputes and thoughts, all their difficult, stormy, eventful and emotional lives. The action of the novel takes place in Moscow and the Donbass, in research institutes and survey expeditions. Reproducing many features and events of the life of Soviet society in the difficult environment of the pre-war years, the novel raises problems of personal and public happiness and duty, love and friendship, camaraderie and rivalry - problems that are deeply relevant today. And therefore, the new novel by Vera Ketlinskaya is truly modern and naturally enters into the spiritual life of our days.