Between 1885 and 1910, Countess Tolstoy made more than a thousand photographs representing her entire world—from artists to aristocrats to peasants to …

Between 1885 and 1910, Countess Tolstoy made more than a thousand photographs representing her entire world—from artists to aristocrats to peasants to family, from the Crimea to Moscow to the family estate 100 kilometers to the south. She also kept detailed diaries, which sweep us into fashionable balls and local gossip, magical scenes of winter in Russia, and devastating famine in the countryside. Sophia's works deepen our understanding of the era as well as of this amazing woman, who had thirteen children, battled a troubled marriage, and, though blessed with a creative life of her own, was so devoted to her husband's career that she hand-copied his great works Anna Karenina and War and Peace many times over.

Song Without Words showcases the photographs by theme, with Sophia's writings providing emotional context for many of the images. Commentary by author Leah Bendavid-Val weaves through the book, linking diaries with pictures and placing each in its historical and literary setting.

"Bendavid-Val's beautifully presented book elegantly exposes Sonya's considerable skills as a diarist and, at a…

"Bendavid-Vals beautifully presented book elegantly exposes&Sonyas considerable skills as a diarist and, at a time when cameras were rare in Russia, as a wonderfully naturalistic photographer of prerevolutionary estate life."Vogue

"Tolstoy's diary entries are poignant, with her exasperated devotion to her husband Leo and her 13 children, and continue until two weeks before her death in November 1919."—The Guardian

"Sonia's photographs and diary entries contribute mightily to our knowledge of her husband, and the fact that the book makes them available to every Tolstoy admirer is cause for celebration."—The Wall Street Journal