The Last Station: A Novel of Tolstoy's Final Year

290 pp. NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE "In 1910, Count Leo Tolstoy, the most famous writer in the world, is caught in the struggle between his devoted wife and an equally devoted acolyte over the master's legacy. Sofya Andreyevna fears that she and the children she has borne Tolstoy will lose all to Vladimir Chertkov and the Tolstoyan movement, which preaches the ideals of poverty, chastity, and pacifism. As Leo Tolstoy's life draws to a close, his tempestuous wife and most cunning disciple are locked in a whirlwind battle for the great man's soul. Torn between his professed doctrine of poverty and chastity and the reality of his enormous wealth and thirteen children, Tolstoy dramatically flees his home, only to fall ill at a tiny nearby rail station. The famous (and famously troubled) writer believes he is dying alone, unaware that over a hundred newspapermen camp outside awaiting hourly reports on his condition. Jay Parini moves deftly between a colorful cast of characters to create a stunning portrait of one of the world's most treasured authors." Keywords: JAY PARINI LAST STATION NOVEL OF LEO TOLSTOY'S FINAL YEAR LITERATURE BIOGRAPHY BOOKS TO FILM FICTION