"An elegant, readable volume." - A. N. Wilson, Spectator (UK)
"How she remained married to the beyond difficult Tolstoy for close on half a century remains one of life's great mysteries, and Sofia's diaries provide rich, at times peevish, but invariably vivid insights to the Russia of her lifetime." - Irish Times (Best Non-fiction Citation)
"The diary entries bear witness to a remarkable life: the life of an exceptional woman, married to one of the most exceptional men of the time, with all her passions and difficulties laid bare. This is a book that is interesting for what it says about the predicament of women in the past, and how that compares to their present circumstances." - Sunday Times (London)
"The hundreds of pages offered by Porter in this selection are testament to a great spirit, a woman who lived in terrifying proximity to one of the greatest writers of all time, and who understood exactly the high price she would have to pay for this privilege." - Jay Parini
"It is simplistic to see Sofia as the victim of her husband's genius. Her diaries show that she was a formidable storyteller in her own right." - London Times
"Beautifully translated and edited.... Provides a harrowing portrait of a marriage.... [The] diaries, so rich in acute psychological awareness and observation, should be read for themselves, not just as a social document or biographical resource. They are infuriating, heartbreaking, unputdownable." - Michael Dirda, Washington Post
"Hauntingly revealing and gorgeously sad, these entries reveal a wife's desperate love and estrangement from her brilliant but complex and troubled husband." - Kirkus Reviews

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Pub date: 2010-09-07

Length: 656 pages