Autobiography of Countess Tolstoy

A personal memoir recounts the author's life in a prominent literary household, describing family routine, bereavements, and the responsibilities of raising many children. It chronicles her husband’s prolonged spiritual and intellectual seeking, his rejection of institutional religion alongside an affirmation of Christ's moral teaching, and the resulting tensions over faith, lifestyle, and finances. The narrative interweaves her own turn to philosophical reading and reflection with practical concerns about household continuity. Extensive notes and appendices present documentary materials, including wills and accounts of the husband's departure, with the aim of stating the author's perspective in a widely debated domestic and moral controversy.