"Poor Folk" by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a novel written between 1844 and 1845. Told through letters between two impoverished distant relatives, Makar Devushkin and Varvara Dobroselova, the story reveals their struggles with poverty in St. Petersburg. As they share books and support each other through hardship, an unusual friendship develops. When a wealthy widower proposes to Dobroselova, their bond faces its greatest test, forcing both characters to confront their circumstances and desires.