The Diaries of Sofia Tolstoy

AftermarryingCountLeoTolstoy,therenownedauthorofAnnaKareninaandWarandPeace,SofiaTolstoykeptadetaileddiaryuntilhisdeathin1910.Herlifewasnotaneasyone:sheidealizedherhusbandbutwastormentedbyhim.Shelivedagainstthebackgroundofoneofthemostturbulentperiodsinhercountry’shistory,asoldfeudalRussiawastransformedbythreerevolutionsandthreemajorinternationalwars.YetitisasSofiaTolstoy’sownlifestory—thestudyofonewoman’sprivateexperience—thatthesediariesaremostvaluableandmoving.Theyrevealawomanoftremendousvitalenergyandpoeticsensibilitywho,inthefaceofprovocationandsuffering,continuedtostriveforthehigherthingsinlifeandtoremainindomitable.,