By 1910, Leo Tolstoy had become an almost religious figure, surrounded on his lavish estate by family and followers alike. Too ill to continue beyond the tiny station of Astapovo, he believes he is dying alone. This book centres on the battle for his soul waged by his wife and his leading disciple.

"Stylish, beautifully paced and utterly beguiling." Sunday Times1910. Anna Karenina and War and Peace have made Leo Tolstoy the world's most famous author. But fame comes at a price.In the tumultuous final year of his life, Tolstoy is desperate to find respite, so leaves his large family and the hounding press behind and heads into the wilderness. Too ill to venture beyond the tiny station of Astapovo, he believes his last days will pass in isolation. But as we learn through the journals of those closest to him, the battle for Tolstoy's soul will not be a peaceful one."A modern classic and an unforgettable portrait of Russia on the cusp of revolution." Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Young Stalin"Remarkable . . . One of those rare works of fiction that demonstrates both scrupulous historical research and true originality of voice." New York Times"A subtle masterpiece." Times Literary Supplement