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In my Golosa text book there's a little story about Natalya Vladimirovna Baranskaya (Наталья Владимировна Баранская)

There's one sentence I don't really understand:  Однако тяжелый  изнуритедьный советский быт превращает жизнь молодой женщины в каторгу.

Here's what I understand:  However, heavy, exhausting soviet way of life reduced/converted the life of young women in penal servitude?