Lew Tolstoy and his wife Sofia maintained an extensive correspondence during their fifty-year marriage. These letters provide insights into the everyday and family life of the Tolstoys and the creation of Tolstoy's great works such as "War and Peace," "Anna Karenina," "Resurrection," and "The Kreutzer Sonata." Above all, they are a testament to a great yet challenging love. "The letters of the Tolstoys can be read like a gripping novel. Two highly intelligent people argue about love, politics, and life. Not a word has lost its relevance or urgency. One suffers along with them and learns.".