Natasha Rostova

Countess Natalya "Natasha" Ilyinichna Rostova (born 1792, according to the book; Russian: Наталья "Наташа" Ильинична Ростова, Natal'ja "Nataša" Il'inična Rostova, named Natasha Rostov in the Rosemary Edmonds version) is a central fictional character in Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace.

At the start of the novel in 1805, Natasha is a 12-year-old girl, the daughter of Count Ilya Rostov and Countess Natalya Rostova. She has fallen in love with young Prince Boris Drubetskoy, who lives with his mother in the Rostov estate. She becomes close friends with Count Pierre Bezukhov, who frequently visits the Rostovs. When Boris leaves to pursue a career in the staff of General Mikhail Kutuzov, their friendship evaporates. At her first ball, Pierre introduces her to Prince Andrei Bolkonsky. They fall in love and become engaged, but Andrei's father objects to the match. He forces Andrei to postpone the marriage for a year, during which he serves as a staff officer on the Polish border. A visit to Andrei's father ends in a falling-out between Natasha and Princess Marya, Andrei's sister. During Andrei's absence, Prince Anatole Kuragin takes advantage of the situation by courting Natasha, even though he is already married. She succumbs to his charms, and tries to elope with Kuragin. Although this is thwarted by Natasha's cousin Sonya, Natasha hastily writes to Princess Marya, breaking off the engagement. After her plan to elope is ruined, Natasha attempts suicide. She is rescued by the doctor before she dies. As Napoleon advances into Russia, the Rostovs are forced to evacuate their estate and retreat to their Moscow residence. When the Rostovs plan to evacuate Moscow, her parents use the carts for transportation of the wounded soldiers, and Natasha discovers that Andrei is among the wounded soldiers. She devotes all her time to nursing him.

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