Countess Sophia de Segur (1799–1874) was born in St. Petersburg. Her father F.V. Rostopchin (1763–1826) was a lieutenant general, minister of foreign affairs under Paul the First, and in 1812, governor general of Moscow, organizer of the Moscow fire that forced Napoleon to an inglorious retreat. From 1814 the family lived abroad, in Poland and then in France. 1819 Sophia married Eugene Segur, great-grandson of the famous French marshal. Count Rostopchin gave his daughter the French estate of Nuette, where she spent many years raising her eight children and grandchildren. The husband preferred to lead a separate life and called his Russian wife “Mother Goose.” But this lifestyle turned into the discovery of her literary talent. At 58, Sophia de Segur published her first book, New Fairy Tales for Little Children. She subsequently wrote about twenty novels for children, three volumes of religious instructions, a book of recipes and advice for young mothers, and earned a reputation as one of the best writers of the time. Countess de Segur's books were published in France with a total circulation of over 20 million copies and are still published to this day. Some novels have been filmed. Her works have also been published several times in Russia. The novel “Gribouille's Sister” is ideal for family reading. The story of the French “Ivan the Fool” will touch the souls of not only children, but also parents. The alternation of farce and tragedy, humor and lyricism makes the plot about the fate of a young man and his sister extremely fascinating.