Natalia Ginzburg (1916-1991) was the Italian Author of
many family-centered novels. Her childhood home was a
meeting place for intellectuals opposed to Mussolini. She
married an editor and political activist with whom she had
three children. She was elected to the Italian Parliament
in 1983.

Fyodor Dosteyevsky (1821-1881). He and his older brother,
Mikhail attend boarding schools together. After the death of
their mother in 1837, they were sent to a preparatory school.
He married the widow, Marya Dmitrievna Isaeva, in 1857. Just
a few years later in 1864 she was to die as was Fyodor's older
brother Mikhail. In 1867 he is remarried to Anna Grigorievna
Snitkina. They live abroad for 4 years staying for a time in
Geneva, Florence, Vienna, Prague and finally Dresden.

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), was born a Brahman. His
father was a religious reformer and scholar. His mother died
when he was very young; he did not understand until her body
was burned that she would never come back. He and his siblings
were beaten by the servants regularly. All the children would later
contribute significantly to Bengali literature. Tagore, the youngest,
began writing poems at 8 years of age. He was educated first by
tutors and then later at a variety of schools.
    In 1883 he married Mrinalini Devi Raichaudhuri, with whom he
had two sons and three daughters. She died in 1902 and a year
later one of their daughters died. In 1907 his younger son also
died. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913.