Sentenced to death as a young revolutionary, Fyodor Dostoevsky survived mock execution and Siberian exile, writing a towering stack of classic novels even as he battled epilepsy and a gambling addiction. Scouring Dostoevsky's literary works for clues, Alex Christofiprofiles the three women who supported him and shared his turbulent life: the consumptive widow Maria; impetuous Polina, who had visions of assassinating the Tsar; and faithful stenographer Anna, who did so much to secure his literary legacy.

"A celebration of human complexity which fuses surprising new information about the life of the writer with a passionate love for his books…. Christofihas created the most charismatic and engaging portrait of a tortured, brilliant man."—Viv Groskop